As I Wake
by CreepGirl
Summary: "What am I?" Lost has become a whole new meaning for her. Awakening in a brutal storm with no memories, follow her story as she fights to discover who she really is... that is, if she makes it that far. (OC)
1. Chapter 1

If my summary somehow drawn you in, welcome!

**Disclaimer:**I obviously don't own Naruto. Wish I did, but don't. But my OC is my own creation.

Anyway, happy reading!

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**Chapter One: Beginnings**

I gasped as I inhaled what seemed like my first ever breath. My eyelids were closed but I heard and felt the freezing rain drip onto my goose-bumped skin. The furious winds absorbed what little body heat I possessed as my skin turned to ice. Thunder echoed in the distance, one boom after another. _Where could I be? _

My eyelids remained closed with thought of what was in front of me. Someone possibly holding me captive or worse, I could be abandoned in the middle of nowhere with half my limbs gone. Granted, there was no feeling. No pain, but that doesn't rule out the thought that I might be in danger.

Slowly, my eyes fluttered open. The real world was just as dark as it was behind my eyelids. It was obvious now that I was not being held captive. There were no ropes or chains bound to me. No one was holding a knife against my throat. Nothing was here but my limp body leaning against a giant tree. Fallen trees and chaos surrounded me. The sky was brewing a nasty storm, with black clouds and furious winds. There was only myself in this pitch black forest.

_Wait, me? Who's me? What's me? What's my name! Why can't I remember my name?_

I realized that there was no recollection of anything. Nothing about who I was or how I got here. My memory was blank.

I pushed the idea out, temporarily, as I examined myself. With what little light provided, I first looked at my hands, all ten long and slender fingers present. Checking my legs, relief washed over me when two unbroken legs stared back at me. _One, Two_. They were skinny, long and with a few scratches. Slowly I examined the rest of my body, the body that I don't remember having. It was like relearning about yourself all over again. That mat of thick, brown hair covering my head and a little scar I never knew existed on my pinky finger. _How could I forget everything about myself, even my own name? Why was there no memory?_

Feeling woozy, I looked at my arms and realized that my right arm was bleeding. The wound didn't look deep but it was still oozing. It might be because it was so dark but as I squinted, it seemed as if my blood looked darker, almost black. _No that couldn't be possible…_

The sky brightened as lightning struck, making me jump. It began raining even harder than before. I must have hidden under this tree as a desperate attempt to get shelter, but my white, long T-shirt was soaked. Even drenched to the bone, I was not emotional. I did not feel panicked, but there should be panic and fear, right? All my memories have been erased and yet screams weren't filling my lungs. I should be frightened but, instead, felt eerily calm.

But now wasn't the time to worry about that. There were more important things to be concerned about like how the hell I was going to get out of here. Who knew how long I've gone without proper food and water. Without a doubt, if I stayed here, this cyclone of a storm would end my life. I needed to find that somewhere safe, now!

Slowly, my desperate legs scooted themselves underneath my body and with all my strength, pushed myself into an upright position. With the tree's aid and looking, literally, like a tree hugger, I was able to stand. My body turned toward the direction it wanted to go, which was apparently left. I let go of the supporting tree. After my first steps forward, my small success ended with failure as my body and I, crumbled to the ground.

_Curse my wobbly legs!_ When my brain finally conjured up a plan, my legs wouldn't corporate. Failure was not an option. Even with mud all over my extremities, determination was in my veins. Trying once again, I placed my hands underneath my body and after some struggle, was finally able to stand. With so much of my energy diminished, I put what little was left into leaving this somewhat sheltered tree. Slowly, placing one foot in front of another, I gained distance. Being completely exposed to Mother Nature's wrath, within minutes, my hair was clung to my face, my teeth were chattering, and worse of all; I had no idea where to go. But those excuses were nothing to me. Even with small strides, there was distance between myself and that giant tree.

Continuing, hope rose as I slowly walked towards my destination. _Which was where exactly? No damn clue._Over and over, a recording in my head repeated…L_eft foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, left…right…_ Ignoring the pouring rain and the lightning knocking down trees, I kept my focus on my feet.

As time went on, it was getting harder to move. My legs were being disobedient children again, not listening to a thing I said. My heart was working overtime, begging me to stop. My lungs were pleading to stop! At this moment, I was huffing and wheezing. Moving on sheer will-power wasn't going to last forever but that couldn't stop me now! _Move!_

Concentration continued on my feet with the same chant on replay: _Left, right, left, right, left…._

But, I collapsed. My feet gave out. My heart gave out, my lungs. I gave out. _Will this truly be it? Was my life going to end without there ever being a beginning? Without restarting my life or having a future. Never figuring out how I got here or who to give hell to for throwing me here!_To my dismay, this storm would end my life.

Sitting on my knees, I looked up at the sky. _Man, why was there so much rain?_I heard tree branches snapping, the wind's fury whistling, and absolutely no signs of life. There was so much destruction to this land. My fists clenched in my lap. _What have I done to deserve this…?_

Black spots blurred my vision; effects from my exertion crashed in waves. My eyes closed—succumbing to my fate. But, my concentration towards the crying sky broke when I heard soft footsteps. Slowly, I turned my head and was in shock at what stood before me. Seeing a pair of human feet, I looked up to a man watching me.

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**This is my first ever story. I feel like such a noob. Constructive criticism is always welcomed. This story is my platform towards becoming a better writer.**

**"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step"**

**Reviews are love.**

**xo**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:**I obviously don't own Naruto. Wish I did, but don't.

**Warning: **My OC has a bit of a potty mouth, someone bring the soap.

Anyway, happy reading.

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**Chapter Two: Curse this Nonchalant Man!**

_A man? Why would he be here in the middle of nowhere in the motherland of storms?_ My eyes couldn't believe what they saw.

He was tall, about six feet, wearing some kind of uniform, I presumed. From bottom to top, he wore blue worn-out sandals that looked like they needed some repair. His pants, blue as well, had a white and blue band around his right leg. Of course, he would be wearing an ordinary long-sleeved blue shirt as well. Whoever this person was, his uniform doesn't have any style. His shirt was covered by a sage vest supplying many snaps and compartments. I could only guess the possibilities each pocket possessed. Most likely inside were different knives, any one of them willingly to be the lucky winner to slice my throat.

His facial appearance was, by far, the most intriguing feature. Well let's face it (no pun intended), there wasn't much competition compared to the rest of his outfit. A navy blue mask covered his chin, mouth, and nose, along with a headband covering his left eye. It had a silver plate with some kind of swirly engraving on it. His only visible eye, his right, looked bored, tired, and serious, all at the same time. It was beyond me why he looked so calm. With a crop of silver-grey hair, that completed his look.

We had a staring contest for what felt like ages. He was drenched and must be cold, but didn't acknowledged it. _What was he thinking about? He_was_so hard to read! Curse this nonchalant man!_

My body sat motionlessly as he slowly, stepped towards me. Once again, I was not feeling any emotions, nothing mentally. At least panic should rise within me, but my body stayed still; I stayed still.

Call me crazy, but I felt quite the opposite. Not terrified, instead intrigued. This man was a complete mystery, but he was the first sign of life I'd seen since awakening under that damn tree. I could be in danger, but anything was better than sitting helpless. Either way, I would be on my way to the afterlife.

The Mystery Man was just a foot away as I continued to stare up at him. Curious of his next action, I waited, positive he would pull a knife or some sort of weapon out of that convenient vest of his. But, which?

He opened his mouth and I anticipated what he might say. Maybe it would be demanding like 'Come with me' or maybe he would be blunt and say 'I'm going to kill you'. Maybe he would say…

"Hey," the Mystery Man spoke.

_Say… Wait, what. Hey? Hey!?_ _We're in a storm in who knows where and at any given moment, could get struck by__lightning or hit by a tree and all he can say was 'Hey!?' Were my ears failing me too?_

"Hey," he repeated, squatting down at eye level with me.

_How was I supposed to reply to that? 'Oh, hey there, how's it going?' If he hadn't noticed, we're in the heart of this monster storm!_ _Curse this nonchalant man!_

I opened my mouth to reply, but my throat was either dry or I was a mute because no sound left my lips. Maybe I should had practiced talking aloud before. Go figure someone would be stupid enough to be walking around during a storm, let alone plan to make small talk. I assumed that if anyone somehow found me, they would have killed me instantly. But, how wrong could I be! This fool wanted to make small talk before he killed. Why doesn't he just dig my grave while he was at it?

As I foolishly tried to speak again, Mystery Man unsnapped one of the pockets to his vest and began to pull something out. I knew it had to be some kind of weapon but still I flinched, _stupid reflex_. I was ready for whatever came next even if my reflexes wanted to twitch. He continued to pull out… a handkerchief from his pocket.

Immediately, I jarred my head back and scrunched up my face in disbelief. _What does the Mystery Man need with a handkerchief? Maybe he wanted to blow his nose or clean his hands before he dirtied them with my blood._

Completely out of his pocket, he took the handkerchief and handed it to me. If I wasn't confused before, I certainly was now. He simply placed it into my filthy hands. The handkerchief was just as boring as this guy's uniform, plain white with no designs on it. With no clue what he wanted me to do with it, I looked at him.

He must have read the puzzlement on my face because he took the handkerchief back. "It's for the wound on your arm. It looks pretty deep and you don't want it to get infected," he said as he began to wrap the plain white handkerchief around my dirty, emaciated arm. "There much better," he claimed proudly, as if he felt accomplished that he helped a poor, half-dead girl out.

All of this was too strange. This man magically appeared and instead of killing me, he helped me. _What. The. Hell._

Still squatting, he asked, "So where'd you come from? It looks like you were escaping from something."

Even if I could talk, there wouldn't be an answer for him. My useless memory didn't recollect anything, especially where I came from. I shrugged my shoulders because, pathetically, that was all I was capable of.

"I see. Well, let's get you out of here. It isn't safe for either of us right now."

From his face, there was no need to show him that I was exhausted. He could already tell from how disheveled I looked. It didn't take a genius to figure out that I couldn't move anywhere on my own.

Without even consulting with me, he picked me up. But, I don't struggle as he carried me, bridal style, to wherever this strange man's mind was planned to take me.

As he walked, beyond his face, I could see the sky. The black swirling clouds before were beginning to calm. It cleared has birds began to chirp, the sign of survivors. The rain wasn't coming down in bucket, only a mist remained. It was getting brighter and felt as if my spirits were brighter too—not focused on death, but on survival. I was actually going to find a safe shelter after all.

I tried to communicate by mouthing the words. _Who are you?_

He looked down at me and smiled behind his mask. "Just call me Kakashi."

_Ka-ka-shi._ I mouthed the words silently before my heavy eyelids closed and was welcomed to darkness once again.

_Curse this nonchalant man…_

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**Where will Kakashi take this girl?**

**Constructive criticism is always welcomed. This story is my platform towards becoming a better writer. Hope you are enjoying it so far.**

**"We just did an awesome job of not dying." - John Green**

**Reviews are love.**

**xo**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **My OC curses, oops.

Happy reading.

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**_Chapter Three: And My Second Chance Begins...Now!_**

_Are you freaking kidding me!?_ Black filled my vision as my eyelids were closed, again! If once wasn't enough, apparently, I had to go through this tragic experience a second time. At least it wasn't cold and I didn't hear rain. But, I refused to go through that bull crap again.

I opened my eyes and sighed with relief to see no monster storm. This time I was actually indoors in a bed. _Great! Where am I this time?_

I sat up in search of some clues. The walls were white with no hanging pictures. The door was to my left and the window to my right, both closed. The window was drawn closed by a flimsy white curtain. So far, nothing provided any clues.

All that was left was a nightstand and an IV bag on a metal pole. Doing a double take, my eyes opened wide. _Wait, IV? Why is that in here?_ Looking down at my left wrist, there was an IV tube jabbed into my skin. _What the? This is so frustrating! It would be nice to know for once what's going on or where I am… or what I am._

I sighed and plopped back onto the bed. My memories still haven't returned; still as blank as the ceiling above me. _Why hasn't my memory returned, yet? What is wrong with me?_

This room was as boring as Mystery Man's clothes. Speaking of which, where was that man? Kakashi, wasn't that his name?

As if on cue, Mystery Man, I meant Kakashi, walked in.

"I see you're finally awake. You have been asleep for the past three days," he simply stated.

I tried to reply and convey my annoyance to him, but instead of words leaving my lips, violent coughs did instead. I thought I was going to hack up a lung.

Still coughing, Kakashi kindly handed me water and I gulped it down. After a few moments of calming from my coughing episode, I mouthed the words, 'Where am I?'

"You're at a hospital in the Fire Country, in a village called Konoha."

'Ko-no-ha?' I mouthed the foreign word with each syllable.

He nodded. "Konoha," as he simultaneously revealed the world beyond the flimsy white curtain.

The view outside was unbelievable. Sun shined on the trees and buildings. Children were playing ball in the street, giggling without a worry in the world. Adults were shopping in outdoor markets that looked fun to explore. In the sky, birds were flying high, looking down on this beautiful village. Something within me had the desire to run outside like a mindless fool and explore the all-too-new scenery. But, instead, I was stuck helplessly in this hospital bed.

Kakashi broke my trance. "Has your memory returned?"

Sadly looking at him, I shook my head.

To get my mind off of the unfortunate situation, he changed the subject." By the way, let me fully introduce myself. My name is Kakashi Hatake."

'Ka-ka-shi' I silently pronounced as a nurse walked in.

"Hello Sweetheart, I'm your nurse. I'm here to check up on you and take a veil of blood," she smiled politely.

She looked and sounded very sweet, even though her voice had a slight annoying twang. I simply nodded and watched her put the equipment together. Kakashi causally folded his arms across his chest and propped his leg against the corner wall. He stared at the nurse, interested, as if waiting for something to pop out. _Why does he look like that?_

"Now this might pinch a little, Sweetheart. It's best if you look away."

I didn't want to look away. I wanted to see every move she made as she drew each drop from my body.

The nurse placed the needle into my skin and began to pull the syringe, extracting my blood. My eyes opened wide as it collected into the container. My blood was black, the same color as the wound on my arm during the storm. Even if my mind was a jumbled mess, I knew what color blood should be and this was not it.

She finished taking my blood and, realizing how concerned I looked, smiled. "No worries, Sweetheart. I'll take this to the lab and have it examined. All you need to do now is relax and rest."

_Yeah, relax and rest. Easier said than done and why the hell was she calling me Sweetheart? Did I look like a Sweetheart or is that what she calls all her patients. For her information my name isn't Sweetheart it's… dammit._

After the nurse left, Kakashi promised that he would check up on me later. Alone once again, I gazed out the window and sighed. The world was breath-taking. Temptation boiled inside me to jump out that window and experience the freedom. It was awful in this stuffed up white cube.

Deciding that I couldn't stand it anymore, I ripped off my IV tube and threw my legs over the side of the bed. My right foot placed down first and slowly easing my weight onto it, my other foot followed. Pushing with all my strength, I stood up and walked out the deathly room. My legs were stiff, but they seemed to be doing their job.

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Finally reaching to the top floor, I opened the door to the roof and walked to the far edge to lean on the railing. The view was more amazing from out here. The sun was setting as everything darkened. The sky remained a beautiful mix of purples and pinks. As if a child was playing with watercolors, colors blended into one anyone, leaving a masterpiece.

I inhaled a deep breath as the wind picked up. The fresh smell cleared my lungs, cleansing my body of all negative energy. I felt more rejuvenated. I felt free.

My concentration broke when I heard the door slam. Kakashi stood behind me. _Figures, he probably wants to reprimand me for leaving my room._

"The view is very nice from up here…" he stated as he joined me. "… but being in bed and resting would be smart."

Well that wasn't as harsh as I expected it to be. Nonetheless, I ignored his request and continued to gaze at the sunset. Going back into that room was like putting a bird in a cage, it wasn't right. A bird needed its freedom. Plus, this sunset was too beautiful to look away from.

"I figured you would ignore me," he sighed. "The doctors are still doing tests on the blood sample. All they know is that there is a high amount of oxygen, iron, and some kind of enzyme that they have yet to identify, but besides that, everything else is still a mystery. They have no idea why your blood is so dark."

I registered the information. It was no surprise that there were more questions and no answers.

He continued, "But based on your dental and physical, you are around 14 years old, 155 cm, 40kg and you can't speak because your vocal chords have been damaged. The examiners predict that your voice will return in time but no clue when. Also, the muscle work and patterns that you have only occur in people who are shinobi."

My head quickly swerved at Kakashi. The age, height, weight and even the damaged vocal chords weren't shocking me, it was this shinobi business. _What the heck is that, some kind of disease?_

'Shi-no-bi?' I mouthed to him, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, shinobi, a ninja," he pointed to the engraved metal plate that covered his eye.

He began to walk away. I don't question his departure as I continued to think. Since when were there ninjas? Maybe that's what Kakashi was wearing. It wasn't a lame outfit concocted by a fashionably blind man, but a ninja uniform. The metal engraving must be a symbol for this village. Does that mean there are others out there? Different symbols that represented different people, different kinds of fighters?

Moments later, my ears perked as Kakashi reappeared behind me. Reappeared not in the sense of walking back towards me, but in a re-materialized sense. One second he wasn't there, the next he was.

Kakashi instantaneously pulled something out of his vest and threw it at me. Acting on my reflexes, I nimbly caught the object. Shocked, I looked down to see a strange weapon in my hand. It was pointed on one end with a handle and cloth wrapped around on the other._ I didn't even know it was coming at me. Everything happened so suddenly._

"That is a kunai knife. It's used in short and far combat," he explained.

'How?'

"I don't know but this proves that you did have ninja training of some sort."

_How could I be a shinobi? I don't even know how to fight. The idea of a body as weak as mine fighting was absurd. There's no way. There has to be an explanation to all of this._

"Since you are completely recovered, tomorrow I would like to test you to see your level of skills. After, we can meet with the Hokage to report your situation. He will be the one who decides where you will be staying."

'Hokage?' _These new words were_ giving me a headache.

"A Hokage is a very powerful ninja who is also the leader of this village."

All I do was shake my head. This wasn't right. Hokage? Shinobi? What was all of this? I didn't belong here! How could he say I had a possibility of staying here? The Hokage wouldn't allow this. I was a stranger, an outsider.

'Out-sid-er'. It was so frustrating not being able to speak.

He grabbed my shoulders and stared intently into the eyes. "You are going to meet the Hokage tomorrow. You need to be placed in a safe environment." His one visible eye glared at me— seriousness radiating off him. He was acting like he cared…

I pushed him and walked away. _Why do I want to do that? I'm not a ninja. Who does he think I am?_

"Don't walk away. Just let me talk to you— convince you that this will be good for you," he calmly called.

Continuing to walk back to my ominous hospital room, I placed my hand on the doorknob and began to turn it. If this guy thought he was going to convince me to go though some testing and meet the Big Honcho, then he had another thing coming.

"It's okay to be scared of your powers," he simply stated.

Stopping in my place, I rewound and replayed the words. _He thinks I'm afraid of my powers? Is he fucking crazy? I don't have any powers to begin with. How can I be afraid of something that I don't even have?_ I impulsively threw the kunai or whatever it was called, from before, at Kakashi and turned back around to open the door.

It was not even fully opened before Kakashi was behind me and slammed the door closed. His heat radiating onto my back. His breath on my neck.

Quickly, I turned around to push him away from me, but he had already moved to the other end of the balcony. He magically reappeared twenty feet away from me, his little ninja trick.

"Why don't you just listen to what I have to say? I want to perform a test to learn about you. Don't you want to learn more about yourself?"

Fiercely, I shook my head and waved my hands to signal that this was enough bull shit. I was acting like a heartless bitch but why the hell did I have to take this crap. Just what exactly was I doing here? I didn't belong here! I shouldn't be helped by these people. I wasn't from this village. There was no need to take any test or see any macho powerful leader. No way could I be a ninja. Not this weak, pathetic little girl that this guy did some community service for by plucking her up from the hell hole that she came from. I was nothing. Enough was enough.

Annoyed, I turned back around to the door. It wasn't like I could yell at him or anything. Reaching for the knob for the second time, something grabbed my wrist, well someone. I looked up to see the same pain in the ass.

Kakashi began to plead. "Please, let me test you tomorrow. What's the harm in that? If you're not a shinobi, then you can leave the village, no questions asked…okay?"

I sighed. It was like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. I mean I've had an attitude with him this whole time. The least I could do was take this stupid test. He did save me after all. Then he can leave me alone and I can move on, away from here, away from this village. Reluctantly, I nodded in surrender.

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask. "Great, now go get some rest."

I obliged and tiredly opened the door.

"See you tomorrow. Seven o' clock sharp, Quorra."

_What did he call me?_ Quickly, I turned around but he disappeared, gone without a trace.

The wind blew and ruffled up my hospital gown as I silently said:

'Quor-ra…'

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**So she finally has a name, or does she? Does Kakashi know something she doesn't?**

**Constructive criticism is always welcomed. This story is my platform towards becoming a better writer. Hope you are enjoying it so far.**

**"What I actually want to call you is a hell of a lot more unprintable than your name" - Cassandra Clare**

**Reviews are love.**

**xo**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **My OC curses, quite a bit.

Happy reading.

* * *

**_Chapter Four: The Bell Test_**

_'Quor-ra…'_

It was the following morning and the word still echoed in my mind. _Quorra… What is that? Does that mean something I am not aware of?_ I looked up at the blank white ceiling, repeating the syllables in my mind. The word floated above me as the letters came to life before my eyes.

_Why would he— why would Kakashi call me this? Who's Quorra?_ My mind was still as blank as it was on day one. As discouraging as it was, lying in bed wasn't going to solve anything. It was time for some answers.

I leapt out of the hospital bed. On the nightstand, there was a fresh pair of clothes with a note on top. The note said:

**Good morning,**

**Here are some comfortable clothes. Training in a**

**hospital gown isn't very practical.**

**Meet me at the training grounds just southeast**

**of the hospital.**

**~K.H.**

_At the training grounds?_ I looked down from the note and saw a plain white T-shirt with capris that were similar to Kakashi's. I took the clothes and changed in the bathroom.

After changing, I signed out of the hospital and took my first steps outside. It was just as lovely out as it was yesterday.

_Wait, which way is southeast? Does he expect me to be a human compass?_ Feeling like a complete idiot, I walked around the premises. So far no training grounds but a school, shopping center, and playground came into view.

In a distance, there was a huge field with random nick-knacks like targets and posts. _Finally! I found it! Look at my navigation skills, sharp as a tack._ Smiling at my own stupidity, I walked southeast to the site.

Kakashi was nowhere in sight._ I assumed that he would be here to greet me._

"Good morning," said a voice behind me.

Startled, I jumped and whipped around to face Kakashi._ He's late! How professional._ I said my good morning by giving a half-smile and a slight eye roll.

"Are you ready for your tests?"

Cutting to the chase, I wanted this Quorra mystery to be solved. Slowly, so he could understand me, I pronounced each syllable. _'Why did you call me, Quorra?'_

As if he couldn't understand me, he explained the tests. "We are going to be doing a wide variety of exercises. Each being on different aspects and will gradually get harder. In the end, there will be an ultimate test which I will explain later. If, of course, you make it that far."

Obviously he was ignoring me. If I wanted to get any answers, I needed to be more forceful. Grabbing the collar of his vest, I pulled him towards my chest, meeting eye to eye. Feeling annoyed but determined, I silently ask again, _'Why did you call me that?'_

Nonchalant as always, he looked me dead in the eye. He didn't look mad nor rip my grasp off of him. He didn't even attempt to pull away. But he does say, "I'll answer whatever questions you have if you past the tests."

My annoyed expression changed to shock as I quickly let go of his vest. No ideas conjured up on how to pass these tests. Only ninjas could pass, which clearly I was not, but I understood what I needed to do to succeed. _I won't give up that easily._ Ultimately, I nodded my head, firmly, as if saying _'You're on!'_

He mimicked my same stern face. "Good. Now we'll begin with something simple. Let's see how well you can throw at a target." He pulled a kunai knife from one of his trusty o' compartments and threw it at me, landing at my feet. "Let's see how good your aim is," as he pointed to the target. It was simple with blue, yellow, and red being the target's center.

Grasping the cold metal weapon in my hand, I walked towards the target. If I so happened to have any talent, any magical abilities hidden within me, they needed to freaking come out. Raising the kunai knife, I aimed and threw it with all my strength. Hearing it make a _PING_, I realized my eyes were closed and opened them to see that the kunai didn't hit the red center; it wasn't even on the target board. The red cloth of the handle caught my eye and saw that the knife perfectly hit smack middle of the tree— the tree next to the tree with the target on it. So much for magical abilities, I couldn't even hit the right tree let alone the damn red dot.

"Try again and concentrate," said Kakashi as if that was the obvious solution.

Grunting in frustration, I pulled the kunai out and walked back to my position and concentrated as Kakashi suggested. _Come on, I know you can do it, just hit the target!_I aimed, threw, and… hit the target? No, but I did hit the right tree this time. A_t least I was improving._ I sighed and pulled the knife out of the tree.

Ignoring my surroundings, I stared at the prize, that stupid little red dot and made it my prey.

_Just breathe and concentrate,_I thought.

I inhaled sharply, aimed, and threw the kunai knife. Kakashi made a 'mph' sound as the knife hit the blue section of target. I couldn't help but smile. It was most likely pathetic in ninja terms, but in ordinary girl term, I think that's a pretty damn good try.

I wanted to try to do a better job when- "Alright, that's enough. Let's test you on something else," Kakashi interrupted me.

Although I wanted to perfect my poor throwing skills, I wasn't complaining.

"Now, let's see your agility. See the hospital back over there? I want you to run as fast as you can. Run there and back. I'll time you."

_Running? I never tried running before, making me feel dumb. But, I had to do better._ I took my starting stance, which for me was just standing there clueless.

"Ready? Go."

With that I began to run, or attempted to run. It was more like a jog. _I felt like the runt duck trying to catch up with my family._

Trying to fix my pace, my heart pounded in my chest— ready to drop dead_._ I was so out of shape, m__y lungs yelled at me to stop and take a nap under ones of those trees. But, gradually, I began to like it—the pain in my chest and the adrenaline pumping in my body. For some reason, it was reviving— reassuring that this was my body and that I was alive.

My arms and legs moved faster. Iced blood pumped through me, warming me with power. I felt in complete control for the very first time.

In no time at all, what took me fifteen minutes to walk, only took minutes to run. As if I had to touch the wall of the hospital to prove my distance, I tapped the wall and ran back. My lungs were still yelling, like they were being fried, but my legs just wanted to go and go fast. Everything around me seemed to be a blur. Both from the fact that I was running that fast and also because I was so focused, so concentrated on the goal ahead of me. Like I was in a tunnel with only one way out. And to make things more interesting, someone thought it would be fun to set the tunnel into flames making me run that much faster. This speed would be too much for some people, but I realized by now that I was not any ordinary person. I was certainly different.

In record time, I made it back to Kakashi and screeched to a stop. I placed my hands on my knees and bent over as I tried to refill my lungs with deprived oxygen. Looking up at Kakashi, he still wore his stone-cold expression, but his only visible eyebrow arched— intrigued, perhaps?

Waiting for him to respond, I began to jump up and down to show that I was ready for more. Ready for anything that he had to throw at me. _Bring it!_

"We will start another test now."

Giving him a dirty look, I straightened and listened for my next test. With that, we continued our day with many, many different exercises. When Kakashi said we were doing a variety of tests, boy, he was not exaggerating. _Holy **shit**!_ I ran, jumped, and rolled. I even attempted to climb a fucking tree! Of course _that_ went very well. Kakashi even made me spar with him. He went easy on me and still kicked my scrawny ass. After that and much more, I was very tired and very over it.

"Ready for more?" He asked as if this was just the warm up.

I answered him by sticking my tongue out, convinced he was trying to kill me.

"Good. But before we continue, I want to explain something to you. Let's talk by that tree over there," he said as he pointed behind me.

_Thank you, Almighty!_ We walked to the tree and I collapsed. Kakashi leaned against the tree as I stared at him, curiously.

"I want to explain a few things to you before we go any farther." He looked down to see my approval and I responded with my usual nod. "Remember when I was telling you yesterday about ninjas? And how they are called shinobi? Well, shinobi aren't just ordinary people. Each shinobi has something called chakra, a form of energy that is found in all living organisms and naturally in every individual to some degree. Long story short, the amount of chakra in shinobi are greatly significant compared to the amount found in a civilian's. In shinobi, there are different type of techniques that use chakra— allowing an individual to perform a wide variety of abilities. Just to scratch the surface, there are ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu."

I was lost. I understood that these shinobi people have this thing called chakra and with this they could do special abilities but what did that have to do with anything.

Continuing, "Now when I was telling you your health record back on the roof of the hospital, I didn't mention something."

Shocked, my eyes jolted to his. Why wouldn't he tell me something when I was in this desperate state of wanting to learn every little detail about myself?

As if he read my mind, "I didn't mention this yesterday because you were learning so many new terms that I didn't want to confuse you any further. The doctors discovered that you have a very low amount of chakra. It's slightly higher than the usual amount found in an average civilian, but not by much. That's why I truly wanted to test you because you had such unique blood work and muscle components that obviously point towards you being a shinobi but compared to your chakra levels, they didn't match up. They didn't make any sense."

I sighed. This was getting harder to figure out. So complicated that it was discouraging.

"They don't make any sense unless you mainly use taijutsu," Kakashi explained. "There are different kinds of techniques— ninjutsu involves transformations. Genjutsu, illusions. But, taijutsu is different because it requires practically no chakra use whatsoever; stamina is all that is needed. It's all about hand-to-hand combat and barely any complicated techniques."

_Taijutsu, huh? But what does that mean for me? Is he saying that I use taijutsu? That I am really a ninja after all? I pondered._

"As a final test, I want to test you the same way I test all my students. It's called the bell test." He started to walk towards the center of the field again and I obediently followed him.

"I will modify it slightly because you do not know all the shinobi techniques but see this bell right here?" He rose a simply, silver, tiny bell. "All you need to do is to try to take this from me. You can use whatever techniques and weapons that you have." He handed me a kunai knife and a shuriken. "How you do it is up to you."

I accepted his challenge, even if I hadn't the slightest clue how to accomplish it, and we got into our fighting positions. _This was my final test and the results from this could change my life. I wanted that bell!_

"You have until noon. Good luck." With that he took a kunai knife out of his vest and threw it. Instinctively, I blocked it with my own kunai and charged at him.

_What should I do? How am I going to take the bell away from him? He beat my little punk ass before when we were sparring. He's going to do the same this time! The questions rattled off in my mind._

I hit him, but he simply blocked me as if he was swatting a fly. Hoping to knock him down, I dropped down and used my leg in attempt to swipe him off his feet, but he jumped back, avoiding the attack.

Still determined, I continued to fight with kicks, punches and throws. I fought him with everything I got, but it wasn't enough. _Would I ever have enough?_

* * *

As we continued to fight, he blocked my every move with ease. It was almost noon now and I needed to think of a plan. Something he would never expect and could distract him with. Suddenly, a realization just clicked in my head. It was not only a plan but something from my past, something from my lost memory and I was going to use it against him. I ran to distance myself. I needed him to think I was getting tired, that I was weakening.

"You are giving up already?" Kakashi instigated me.

_You wish, I thought, p_lacing my hands on my knees. I pretended to wheeze.

"I thought you had more in you," Kakashi said, making _tsk tsk_ noises.

_More than you think._Gleaming at him, I disappeared out of sight.

At a distance, I could see Kakashi holding his kunai knife, searching. _I was ready; I was ready to win this._

I reappeared in front of him and attacked, hard. With my left leg firmed in the ground, I kicked him square in the stomach with my right. He grabbed my foot, making me grin. He made a mistake. I used the foot he was holding as leverage and pushed off to perform a backflip. As I was midair, I threw my only shuriken at him. Of course, he dodged it.

"Nice try, but you need to think harder if you want the bell," he said.

I smirked at this choice of words. Kakashi was confused and explained myself by looking to my left. He followed my gaze and we both stared, me in triumphant and him in shock, at what walked towards us.

* * *

**What did she dig up from her past that left Kakashi in shock? Find out next chapter!**

**Constructive criticism is always welcomed. This story is my platform towards becoming a better writer. Hope you are enjoying it so far.**

**"Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak" - Sun Tzu**

**Reviews are love.**

**xo**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **My OC uses colorful language.

Happy reading.

* * *

**Chapter Five: I'll Never Give Up**

He followed my gaze and we both stared, me in triumphant and him in shock, at what walked towards us.

It was the girl that I have supposedly known all my life. Who knew who I was, what I was. The girl who evidently knew everything about me, both good and bad. Who knew all my dirty little secrets and was trustworthy enough to keep them. But, that's now not the case. Because that girl was clueless. That girl didn't know who I was anymore. Didn't know any of my secrets, didn't even know what kind of person I was. Why was this? It's because that girl was me.

Kakashi was astonished by the other copy, a clone, another perfect genetic copy of myself, as it walked towards us. Her walk was between a persona of a dictator's and one of a complete bad-ass, like she's done this kind of shit before (pickpocketing). Taking long, cocky, but confident strikes, she placed the pickpocketed object in my hands and I rose it up to examine it. _Small, silver and shiny. Booyah!_I high-fived her and soon after, she poofed away.

I couldn't help but gleam. I actually did it!? Who would have known a weak, pathetic girl like myself could do anything like that? Kakashi was a full-grown ninja. I was just a little 14 year old girl.

_Was it true what Kakashi was telling me? Was I really a ninja? Did I truly have powers; powers hidden inside me? I couldn't help but think._

Kakashi slowly clap his hands. "Well done." Quickly after, he smirked and informed, "But this ruins the theory I had before about you only able to use taijutsu."

I was too excited to feel disappointed about his theory. I have just done something I never thought was possible. I was more than just a nobody.

"Let's go back to the tree," he pointed and this time I lead the way.

At the tree, I stood in front of Kakashi as he resumed his position, leaning causally. I had too much excitement to sit down. I was finally going to find out why he called me Quorra. My hands were tingling with excitement.

Reading the anticipation on my face and knowing fully well why I was smiling like a goon, he began to speak. "Well," he began, looking up at the trees. "Since you didn't know anything about yourself, not even your name." He paused with a weird look on his face. The King of Nonchalance looked uncomfortable, embarrassed almost. "I thought that it didn't seem fair to address you without some sort of name." Looking at me now, he concluded, "So I decided to refer to you as Quorra."

At that moment, I was glad I couldn't speak. Words couldn't describe my thoughts. I didn't know if I should be flattered or disappointed. A potential piece of the puzzle just evaporated before me. He wasn't the gate keeper to a lost part of me. Memory trail that I travel down was still hazy. At the same time, yes, Kakashi never knew my real name. But, does that really matter? He cared enough to give me a name, to give myself an identity because to be realistic, it doesn't seem like I was going to find out my real name anytime soon. Instead of clearing my path for me, he created another one.

Interrupting my thoughts, he added, "Of course, you're welcome to change it. It is your name after all."

I gave the kind shinobi a sad smile and shook my head. I wasn't going to change it. He could have put a lot of thought into it or probably none what-so-ever. But, at least for now, my emaciated body along with my few jumbled memories had an identity. It was the first time I ever felt like I was a real human being, with a real name.

From now on, my name would be Quorra. Plus, I had to hand it to him, it had a nice ring to it.

We smiled at each other until he disturbed the atmosphere by shoving his hands into this pant pockets and began to walk away. "Come on," he stated. "It's time for you to meet the Hokage."

* * *

Walking through the village was very intimidating. As I trailed behind Kakashi, I got a real close-up of the village. People of all ages crowded the outdoor shops and food stands. Konoha villagers were talking and laughing. There was even an elderly couple arguing about what they should have for dinner, which made me smile.

I knew I was just an ordinary girl, but I couldn't shake the feeling that all the villagers' eyes were locked on me. Granted, it could all be in my head. But, I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb. This village was picturesque but I didn't belong there. I was an outsider. Surely, the Hokage would say the same thing. Maybe, just maybe I could live here and restart my battered life, but even if I wanted to do that, the Hokage wouldn't allow it. Would he?

Kakashi stopped at what I assumed was the Hokage's Residence and man, this place was massive. It was huge with three dome-shaped red buildings with the center tower displaying the kanji symbol for fire. This must be the place.

"Ready to go?" Kakashi asked as if I had a choice.

Hesitant, I nodded and followed him inside.

* * *

When we arrived at the front doors to the Hokage's office, Kakashi told me to wait out here as he talked to the Hokage privately first. Then, he explained, it would be my turn. As Kakashi knocked on the door and went inside, I sat against the wall across the hall.

Nerves bubbled within me. It felt like the storm from days earlier was resurrecting in the bottom of my stomach. I wondered what the Hokage was like; whether he was ruthless and immediately sent me out of the village before even giving me a chance. What would I do if that was the case? I would have no clue where to go from here. If a storm could easily kill me, I had no doubt that a shinobi or even an animal would take one look at me and see an easy kill. Let's be realistic, I wouldn't last long outside of the village. But, it could be worse. The Hokage could demand that I was to be locked up because of my unknown past. I wouldn't blame him, no one knew who I really was. I could be a criminal!

But, what if, what if the Hokage was nice? Maybe he will feel sorry for this mindless girl and allow me to stay.

My concentration broke when I heard barking coming from the end of the hall. Wa_s that a dog?_

My question was immediately answered when a cute little puppy came dashing down the halls and headed straight towards me. The energetic pup pounced into my lap and furiously began licking my face. _Gross!_His tongue was wet and slimy but I couldn't help but silently giggle. The little tan, brown-eared thing was just too adorable. As my face became a human slime ball, shouts came from down the hall.

"Akamaru! Where'd you run off to?" yelled a boy who looked about my age.

_Akamaru? Is that your name?_ As Akamaru yipped with glee, he hopped off me and ran towards his owner. Though little, the pup leaped from the ground onto his owner's head. Never thought I would see a sight like this, but there was a first for everything.

The owner wore a grey hoodie with fur trimming the hood, sleeves, and bottom hem. He wore navy shorts and blue shinobi shoes. He had dark brown spiky hair, small eyes and two red painted triangles on each cheek.

I must had been staring for too long without realizing it because he gave me a puzzled look. Caught off guard, sheepishly, I smiled and gave a slight wave. _He probably thinks that I am nuts._

As if all was forgiven, he grinned. "Hey. Are you new here? I have never seen you before."

I answered his question with a quick nod.

"I see. How do you like the village so far?"

Wishing that my vocal chords weren't useless, I nodded my head and smiled to reply.

"Not talkative are you? Well, you are going to like it here. My name is Kiba Inuzuka."

My mouth opened to silently reply when Kakashi opened the Hokage's door. "Quorra, the Hokage is ready to see you."

I gave Kiba an apologetic look and got up from my spot. As I entered the door before Kakashi, Kiba called from behind, "See you around, Quorra."

_I hope so, _I thought.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow of recognition as I waved goodbye to Kiba before walking into the office. Kakashi closed the door behind us. The bare room only had the Hokage's desk, surrounded by many windows showcasing the perfect view of the village. The Hokage sat behind his desk, dressed in a white and red robe as well as a hat with the fire kanji on it. He was light skinned with a small goatee and short spiked hair, both grey. Creases enhanced his age as well as a few liver spots but he still looked like a wealthy mid-aged man. A presence of a very powerful man, indeed.

Kakashi and I stood in the middle of the room. Taking in the site of the room, I became flustered when I noticed that Kakashi bowed and quickly bow as well. _How rude am I? Of course I have to bow!_

We stood back upright and the Hokage introduced himself. "Hello there. Kakashi here tells me your name is Quorra. I am the third Hokage of Konohagakure, Sarutobi Hiruzen. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Because I couldn't speak, I returned his reply with another bow. _Have to show him that I have some manners!_

"No need to be so formal, Quorra." I rose again and he continued, "Kakashi, why don't you explain to me the situation."

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Right, of course. You see, I was returning home from a mission when I found this girl barely conscious in the middle of a brutal storm. She seemed to be there for hours and was wounded so I brought her back to Konoha to be hospitalized."

_Well, that explains why he was crazy enough to be in the middle of a shit storm, I calculated._

Kakashi sighed, "The nurses explained that she is fourteen years of age and healthy except for damaged vocal cords, enabling her to speak. However, she has undetermined blood sample results. There seems to be a high amount of an unknown substance in her blood that is causing it to turn black in color. But, there are no clues pointing to it being a threat. Also, the girl has no recollection of who is she or where she came from. She didn't even know her name so I gave her a name so she can have an identity. Her hospital examinations also pointed to having muscle work and chakra flow of being a shinobi so I personally tested her abilities. Even with chakra levels only being slightly higher than an average civilian, she was still able to perform some shinobi techniques such as the shadow clone jutsu. She was able to retrieve the bell."

My heart hammered in my chest. _He never told me about the blood test results._This couldn't be good. There were hardly any solid statements about me. Mainly, uncertain answers. _There was no reason for me to stay. The Hokage will kick me out for sure._Sweat beaded down my forehead. Anticipating his reply was making me panic.

"Hmm," the Hokage rubbed his chin in deep thought. "I see the problem here. Although she doesn't appear to be a threat, there is no proof that she isn't one either."

I winced. _He's going to do it. He's going to kick me out. _I tried composing myself, but I shook like leaf on a tree and the wind was trying to viciously blow me away into the unknown, into the nothingness.

The Hokage stared into my fear-filled eyes. "But, I cannot send this girl outside of the village. Not until we have more answers."

My heart stopped and my body stiffened. I was completely shocked. My eyes rapidly looked back and forth from Kakashi, who agreed, to the Hokage. _What?!_

The Hokage continued, "I want her watched under close supervision by you, Kakashi, and to be continually tested to figure out this unknown substance. I also want to be notified immediately if she has any of her memory returned, anything at all. Even if it's the minutest detail, I want to be informed."

Kakashi nodded. "Right. And what should I do with her when I am assigned to my new students, Hokage-sama?"

_Students? Kakashi has students?_

"Hmm. Yes, you are meeting your new students tomorrow, aren't you? She is allowed to work with them and join in training exercises as well as simple D-rank missions that are within the village walls. No handling weapons unless under supervision. She can sharpen her skills and who knows, it might trigger a memory. But! Under no condition is she allowed to leave the village by any means whatsoever. When you are on a mission outside the village, she will be watched by AMBU."

"Yes, Hokage-sama, understood," Kakashi replied.

The Hokage turned to me with a warm smile. I returned with a shaky smile. "I would like to welcome you, Quorra, to the village of Konoha. I hope to see you again soon with some answers."

With one final bow, I left the office with Kakashi. I didn't know how but under some strange twist of faith, I was allowed to stay, for now. _Holy shit! What just happened? _

* * *

**Quorra met a few new people today. And received a bit of a shock from the Third Hokage. What will happen next?**

**Constructive criticism is always welcomed. This story is my platform towards becoming a better writer. Hope you are enjoying it so far.**

**"Sometimes you make choices in life and sometimes choices make you." - Gayle Forman**

**Reviews are love.**

**xo**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **My OC may use colorful language.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Six: Wild Child**

Kakashi and I left the Hokage's Residence and headed back into the center of town. "Come on," he said. "Let's celebrate. I know just the place."

* * *

We soon arrived at a place called Ichiraku Ramen. It was a small restaurant, but it had charm. We walked in and took a seat on the bar stools.

As I sat, an overwhelming fragrance of fresh food and ramen filled my nostrils. My stomach growled furiously in reply. I forgot, I haven't eaten anything today.

An older man greeted us, "How are you two today? What can I get for you?"

Kakashi placed our order, "Hello Teuchi, we will just have two miso ramen. Thank you."

"Coming right up," the man replied. "Ayame! You heard the man," he called to the girl working behind the counter. They both got straight to cooking.

I watched the two chiefs prepare the food when I heard Kakashi's name being called. A man around Kakashi's age, possibly younger, who wore a similar uniform, approached.

"Ah, Iruka," Kakashi turned to greet him. "What brings you here?"

Iruka was average built with brown hair pulled up into a pony tail. He had dark brown eyes and a scar that ran across the bridge of his nose. "I was in the area and decided to stop by for dinner. Looks like I made a good choice." He smiled.

Kakashi introduced me and I gave a friendly smile. Iruka sat next to Kakashi and joined us for dinner.

"So, Kakashi, are you ready to meet your new students tomorrow? I got to hand it to you, they are a rambunctious group. Naruto Uzumaki is a handful by himself, but Sasuke Uchiha will also be in your group. For whatever reason, Sasuke seems to fuel Naruto's flame, making him even more boisterous, especially when the third teammate, Sakura Haruno, is busy admiring Sasuke."

Kakashi sighed, "It seems I will have my hands full with them, but we will see how successful they will be at my bell test. That will ultimately test how well they can work together."

Iruka nodded with agreement as our meals were served. My bowl of miso ramen was placed in front of me and my mouth waters. _It smells so good!_

Halfway through scarfing down my ramen, my attention was drawn toward outside. The three of us peaked outside the restaurant to see what the commotion was.

"It's Naruto, again! He's up to no good like always," Iruka complained, rolling his eyes.

I witnessed a small boy running away from multiple adults. He had crazy yellow hair that was somewhat maintained by a pair of goggles. He wore an orange jumpsuit. In his hands, he carried a paint brush along with a bucket of paint.

The wild boy ran into the restaurant, "Hi Teuchi! Hi Ayame! I hope you are both preparing a bowl of ramen for me!" he screamed.

Teuchi replied, unaffected by the pandemonium outside. "Yes Naruto, we have a bowl waiting for you just the way you like it. Extra pork."

The boy gleamed and realized he wasn't the only costumer. "Hi Iruka Sensei. Hi Kakashi Sensei. Did you see the artwork I did on the Great Stone Faces? They look much better that way!" He then stared at me "Who are you? You look new! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Believe it!"

Before I could even attempt to reply, we all heard shouts coming from outside.

"Got to run!" Naruto yelled. And with that, he disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

_I could see why Iruka called Naruto, rambunctious. That kid had way too much energy. He could probably run up a mountain without it fazing him. Heck, he could probably run across the country without breaking a sweat. What a wild child._

* * *

After we finished our delicious bowls of ramen and I shamelessly had a second round, Iruka said his goodbyes and explained how he had to go find Naruto to yell and order him to clean up his mess. Kakashi, after, escorted me to where I would be staying. My temporary home was in an apartment complex on the east side of the village. Kakashi and I walked up to the third floor as he juggled the keys.

He unlocked the door, "Home sweet home."

We both walked inside and I looked at my new home. It was small, very small. It could easily be defined as a hole in the wall. To the right of the entrance stood a crooked coat hanger and a bathroom to the left. The room soon opened up into the main living area. With the small kitchenette on the far right wall, a small round table that seated four was placed in front of it. Next to the kitchen were tall, floor to ceiling cream curtains. The other side of the room had the bed with two small nightstands with matching lamps. The finishing touch was the light fixture that hung over the kitchen table, with one of the two bulbs burned out.

As if he could read my mind, "It's small, but it has character. You see, this place has something special."

Curious, I followed Kakashi to the far end of the apartment to the curtains. He pulled them back to reveal a charming little balcony that overlooked the village. Lights glimmered in all directions. The nightlife was busy with entertainers preforming some sort of light show. Children were chasing after each other, parents calling them to not wonder too far. Everyone looked genuinely happy and content with life. _It was a hidden gem, full of surprises._

I noticed that the other apartments didn't have balconies except for the one right of me but that one was smaller than my own. This place was certainly unique from the others.

"I left a pair of pajamas on the bed for you. Make yourself comfortable. Head to bed early because we will be meeting our teammates at 6 a.m. _sharp._"

I nodded and escorted Kakashi to the door. "Oh, by the way," as Kakashi opened the door. "I live in the apartment next door so if you need anything, don't be hesitant to knock."

Before I could react, he nonchalantly waved goodnight and closed the door behind him. I sighed, walked to my new bed and laid down with a heavy plop.

The Hokage had his concerns with me if he placed me next to Kakashi. I knew I was a mystery, but I was a weak, little girl. Did I appear that menacing?

Saddened by the thought, I knew exactly what could cheer me up. A freaking shower!

I pranced into my bathroom with a towel and fresh pajamas and hopped into the shower. Warm water cascaded down my back as the layers, of what I thought were permanent, grime washed off. As I washed, I felt the structure of my body. I examined my skin, my curves from the slenderness of my legs to the broadness of my shoulders. Relearning this vessel, that was apparently mine.

Satisfied, I turned off the water, left the shower and changed. I was thankful that all the necessities I would need were already in my bathroom. I took my comb and brushed through my hair. When was the last time I brushed my hair? It was a giant rat's nest. I was surprised it wasn't dreadlocked.

As I brushed, I stared at myself in the small mirror over the sink. It was the first time I was really seeing myself since I had awaken. As I fought to detangle my knotted hair, I learned that it was very long, down to my waist, and wavy. Waves of a soft chestnut brown waterfall down my body. A few strands at the bottom curled like a stubborn pigs' tail. Fringed bangs stopped just below my eyebrows. My skin tone was olive and my cheekbones and jawline were pronounced and framed my face.

The most noticing appearance on my face were my eyes. They were large and piercing as they were light green, like the color of celery.

All of these features were unrecognizable. The long, wavy chestnut hair, the olive skin, the pronounced cheeks and angular jawline, were all new to me. I would have never known that the girl staring back at me was me. That this face belonged to me.

Every day, I was going to learn something new about myself whether it was physical or mental or even emotional. This unknown entity was mine and the thought that I had to discover everything on my own was scary and overwhelming.

In the mirror, a glimmer of hope rose within me. Even though my facial features looked lost, my vibrant eyes were full of promise and determination. Promising I will be alright and determined I will find myself, that I was strong enough to do so.

Ready to end my eventful day, I went to lie down and stared up at my ceiling. I questioned how life was going to play out from here. Would it be possible to win the Hokage's trust? If I unraveled the secrets lying dormant inside me, would that be reason enough to trust me? Would he let me stay then or will worry still fill his heart. Even if I did win his trust and he let me stay, did I even want that? The village was nice but I couldn't lie to myself and think that I belonged here. Not by a long shot. The villagers already looked at me, knowing fully well that I didn't. Their smiles were warm but I could read traces of concern from their eyes. Maybe no one would want me to stay.

With that thought, something dawned on me. How did Kakashi buy me a pair of pajamas and the other things when he was with me the whole day? He was with me the whole time and I didn't see him make a shadow clone. There could be dozens of ways how he got the pajamas. Pondering this, I knew it was false hope, but maybe Kakashi knew I could stay. Maybe he knew the Hokage would allow me to stay, even if it was temporary. Maybe _he_ wanted me to stay.

Knowing fully well that that could be pushing it, it was enough to ease my mind and coax me into a deep sleep.

* * *

_I was left alone to face my faith. It was cold and damp here. Water droplets hit the cement ground in the distance, echoing the silent room._

_DRIP._

_My perception of the world was thrown off balance as I laid sideways on the ground. Dirt and grime rubbed abrasively against my cheek. Heavy-duty chains wrapped multiple times around my frail body, binding me in place. No matter how hard I tried to focus, the room remained pitch black. I knew then, there was no point in struggling._

_DRIP._

_I laid in silence. Only the dripping water and my shaking breath accompanied me. All I could think about was how I knew I was going to die._

_DRIP._

_Heavy footsteps echoed in the distance, coming closer. My heart beating faster than a hummingbird's wings, with each beat hammering harder against my rib cage._

_DRIP. DRIP. DRIP!_

_The footsteps stopped and I heard a person fiddle with some keys. The door to my dungeon creaked open slowly. A black silhouette walked towards me. I tried to move but I couldn't, not in the least bit. The figure loomed over me. Large, menacing, monstrous. The reaper before my eyes._

_But, my panic breaths began to steady, in recognition._

_The next thing I knew, my body was thrown into an upper-right position. My world began to spin as I felt the needle stab into my arm. Wincing in pain, I tried my best to focus. I wanted to see who this entity was. My eyes focused and only able to capture the sight of eyes. Sea foam pupil-less eyes stared intently at me. Dizziness consumed me__once again._

_DRIP**.**_

* * *

My body jolted upright causing me to fall off my bed, knocking the lamp off the nightstand in the process. The lamp, like my mind, shattered on the floor.

I wheezed. _What in the world was that!? It felt like I was there. I thought I was… I thought I was going to die._

My body shook uncontrollably. I placed my hand over my jumpy heart and tried to breathe long and steady breaths, a failed attempt to calm myself. _Where was I? Whose silhouette did I just see? Could any of that be real?_

A knock from the balcony's glass sliding door snapped me out of my spell. Kakashi stood outside with anticipation.

I composed myself as best as I could muster and unlocked the sliding door.

"Are you alright?" he asked. His face expressed tiredness and concern.

Still shaking, I nodded, avoiding eye contact with him. Kakashi didn't look too convinced, but he nodded and jumped back over to his balcony.

I closed the sliding door, locked it and went to clean up the scattered glass on the floor. Then, I crawled my tired body back into bed where I spend the remaining hours of the night trying to calm my wired mind.

* * *

**Quorra got a new apartment with a new neighbor. Life seems stable until she has a crippling nightmare that shakes her to the core. Could that nightmare be a flash of memory or was it just that, a nightmare. Who was that she saw in her dream? Who do think it was? **

**"I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?" - John Lennon**

**Reviews are love.**

**xo**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **There may be potty mouth business.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Team Seven... Plus One**

We're late.

It was the next morning. Kakashi and I headed to meet the graduating students, dubbed Team Seven, at the academy.

_When he said 6 a.m. sharp; I thought he meant 6 a.m. sharp, _I mentally complained.

I crossed my arms and gave him a disapproved look.

"What?" He replied nonchalantly. "It's a perfect day for a stroll."

I sighed. There was no point in silently arguing with the man. And I got to hang it to him, it was nice out.

Shortly after, we arrived at the academy and walked towards the classroom where we were apparently meeting them. Before opening the door to officially meet my temporary teammates, Kakashi gave me a sideways glance. "Why do you look so nervous?"

I didn't realize that I was until he mentioned it. I hadn't formally met people my age before. I didn't know how they would react or how I was supposed to react. Would I like them? More importantly, would they like me?

I shrugged as Kakashi placed his hand on the door and pushed it open when a chalkboard eraser landed on his head.

I jumped back. _What the fuck?_

We were greeted to the sound of cackling. The Wild Child from yesterday, officially known as Naruto, was bent over with one hand holding his stomach and the other pointing at Kakashi. "Hahaha!" He started has he tried to control his laughter. "I got him. He totally fell for it."

Puzzlement crept onto my face. Kakashi had to know the eraser was placed there. He was a high ranked shinobi. Why would he let himself fall for it?

As Naruto continued his laughing fit, a long pink haired, green-eyed girl, who I assumed was Sakura, apologized parsimoniously. "I'm sorry sensei! I told him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen. I would never do anything like that!" Her sunken, dull eyes and unpleasant smile were more menacing with each syllable she spoke. Not convincing enough to be sorry.

Not sure what Kakashi intended to do, he picked up the chalk eraser. "Hmmm, how can I say this? My first impression of this group… you're a bunch of idiots," he said causally, as if it wasn't a complete insult.

I covered my mouth to conceal my devious grin. Naruto was such a prankster and Sakura seemed like a complete sociopath. From that huge smirk on her face, she seemed to enjoy Naruto's recklessness and loved to see him get into trouble. The girl could shatter a concrete wall with the twinkle in her eyes.

On the other hand, the last member of the team, hadn't shown any physical or emotional movements. Either he was the dark and mysterious type, or he was a stoner. I wanted to wave my hands over his eyes to see if he would blink.

Kakashi cleared his throat, "Right, let's go outside and get to know each other a little more."

* * *

Team Seven, plus one, traveled outside to 'get to know each other a little more'. We settled at the bottom of a set of stairs. The students sat by the steps as Kakashi and I leaned against the railing of the balcony. It was too intimidating to be next to the trio.

"Hey, Kakashi sensei!" Naruto yelled. "I saw that girl yesterday at Ichiraku Ramen with you! Why is she here with us?" As he pointed to me, "I thought teams were only groups of four shoenobi!"

"It's SHI-nobi, you dunce," Sakura corrected.

Kakashi ignored Naruto's statement and introduced me. He explained how I was new in the village and was assigned to help me adapt to the shinobi life. "Just think of Quorra as an internee," he concluded.

I gave my temporary team a small wave.

"Alright, why don't you introduce yourselves one at a time," Kakashi said.

Sakura replied, "Introduce ourselves? Well, what are we supposed to say?"

"Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future, hobbies…things like that," he clarified.

Naruto replied, "Why don't you tell us stuff first, so we can see how it's supposed to work."

"Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate, um, don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future, never thought about it. As for hobbies, I have many."

The four of us gave him a look as if he just did something completely inexplicable. Even Naruto was flabbergasted. Kakashi_ would bullshit with us._

After a moment for Kakashi's remark to sink in, Sakura summed up what we were all thinking. "That was totally useless. All you told us was your name."

We all nodded our heads in agreement. _Yup, he's completely useless._

"Kakashi sensei, that didn't help us squat! Believe it!" Naruto accused.

It didn't faze Kakashi. "Okay, your turn. You won the right, you first."

"Believe it! I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I like instant ramen in a cup, but even more, I like the ramen Iruka-sensei gets me at the Ichiraku Ramen noodle shop! My hobby is to eat different kinds of ramen and comparing them. And my future dream is to become the greatest Hokage, then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody, somebody important!"

Alright, this kid obviously had an unnatural obsession with ramen. And he wanted to become Hokage, the leader of this village. Yesterday he vandalized the Great Stone faces, which Kakashi informed me were the faces of the past and present Hokages of the village, and yet he wanted to be a leader. I doubt that would happen.

As I gazed at the hyperactive ninja, though, I couldn't help but see pure determination in his bright blue eyes. It made me want to believe it would happen... one day.

"Alright," Kakashi didn't give a shit. "Next."

Sakura began. "I'm Sakura Haruno. The person I like is, I mean." She stared at the boy who hadn't said anything yet. "Mmm huh my hobby is," she gaped at the boy. "My dream for the future is..." She severely gawked and squealed.

"And?" Kakashi asked. "What do you hate?"

Without any hesitation, "Naruto!"

Poor Naruto looked like he died a little on the inside.

_Oh my._ I shook my head. It was worse than I thought. The girl was completely obsessed with Stoner Boy and, by the looks of it, he never looked in her direction. Poor sap.

Still not giving a shit, "Last one."

Stony began to introduce himself. "My name" he paused, rather dramatically.

_Sweet Jesus._

"Is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of thing and don't like particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and destroy a certain someone." With that followed a nice awkward pause.

_Stoner just admitted that he was going to murder someone…great._

Kakashi, wrapped it up. "Good, you're each unique and you have your own ideas."

_That's one way to put it_.

"We will have our first mission tomorrow," he concluded.

Naruto interrupted. "What about Quorra? She didn't go yet." I tensed up.

"Oh, I forgot," Kakashi waved Naruto off. "Quorra is unable to speak at the moment. She had an accident and temporary lost her voice."

"What happened to your voice?" Sakura asked me.

"You see," he established. "She hit her throat and damaged her vocal chords trying to perform a stunt on the monkey bars."

My head slowly turned towards the smiling masked shinobi. _I did what!?_

I gave him the dirtiest evil eye. Sakura's facial expressions for Naruto were nothing compared to the _glare_that was burrowing into Kakashi's skull right now. My eye twitched. _Really, Kakashi? My throat just so happen to fall on a monkey bar? Are you fucking kidding me? Do I like that incompetent? The team probably thinks that I have problems now. Thanks a lot!_

The trio stared blankly at me. Crickets echoed in the distance. I heard crickets! There were actual crickets! Where were they coming from?!

"Yes, it's quiet a bizarre accident but she will recover in no time," Kakashi said with dismay, patting my head.

_I am going to kill him!_

"In the meantime, we will all get to know her as we work together. As I was saying, we will be having our first mission tomorrow."

Naruto asked, "What kind of mission are we going to have?"

"It's a task that the five of us will do together, a training exercise," Kakashi replied.

"What what what? What!" Naruto screamed.

Sakura was confused as well. "I thought were supposed to have a mission. We already did this stuff at the academy. That's how we got here."

"This isn't like your previous training," Kakashi explained.

"So, huh, what kind of training is it?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi chucked, evilly. Amusement in his eye. Sakura asked what was so funny as Kakashi continued to chuckle. "Well, if I tell you the answer, you're not going to like it."

We waited intently for him to explain further. Even Sasuke seemed to be at the edge of his seat.

Finally, he spilled the beans. "Out of the 27 graduates that just came here, only 9 of them will be accepted as genin. The other 18 will be weeded out and sent back to the academy. In other words, this is a make it or break it pass-fail test. And the chance that you'll fail is at least 66%."

Four mouths opened, staring at him. Even though I was not a shinobi, I couldn't help but feel nervous for Team 7. They went through years of schooling to get here. Kakashi just shattered their dream like it was nothing.

"See," he concluded. "Didn't I tell you you wouldn't like it?"

Naruto was furious. "That's crazy! We worked hard to get here, believe it!"

"That's how it is. I decide whether you pass or fail. Be at the designated training ground spot at 5 a.m. and bring your ninja gear. That's it your dismissed. Oh, tomorrow you better skip breakfast or else you'll puke."

The students stood nervously. I couldn't imagine the thoughts running through their minds. Their future all relied on this one mission. Kakashi would be determining their faith from this point out.

"Right then, see you all tomorrow. And remember, don't be late." Kakashi said, happily.

I rolled my eyes. _Don't be late my ass._

We de-grouped and I was about to walk away with Kakashi when Sakura ran up to me. "Hey Quorra! Want to go shopping?"

Dumbfounded, I didn't know how to reply. Why would she want to go shopping with me? Did I look that terrible?

Looking down at my same white t-shirt and navy capris outfit from yesterday, I concluded that, yes, I looked God awful. It was Kakashi who supplied me with these clothes, after all.

Kakashi intervened, "Quorra, I forgot." He handed me a small velvet pouch. "The Hokage gave you some money. Why don't you get some lunch, clothes, and such?"

I snapped back to reality and nodded to Sakura. _Yes, I will go shopping with the socio-erm. I mean Sakura._

* * *

In town, Sakura and I drifted from shop to shop. She bought everything her eyes could possibly lay on. From shoes, to clothes, to accessories, you name it. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if there was an ancient artifact dating back to a thousand years ago in one of the sea of bags she was lugging around. Unlike her, I was carrying one small bag filled with some toiletries and what-not that I needed for the apartment. I also thought it would be smart to buy a notepad and pens so I could actually communicate with society.

_I hope I get my voice back soon._

We were about to enter a clothing store called Flirty Girl when Sakura stopped dead in her tracks. I almost bumped into her as she stared intensely at something behind me.

I turned to see that the pink-haired shinobi was actually glaring at some_one_. A girl with long, straight blond hair pulled up into a ponytail walked towards us with a snooty face. Her long bangs covered much of her face but her big, pupil-less blue eyes didn't fail returning Sakura's death glare.

The girls were barely inches away from each other. "Trying to fix your pitiful wardrobe, Billboard Brow?" the blonde snarled.

"In your dreams, Ino-pig! I'm extenuating it. You wish your sense of style was as good as mine!"

This Ino girl was wearing a short purple vest with a bunched-up collar along with a purple skirt featuring slits on either side. She had bandages around her stomach and legs with purple and white elbow warmers. Her forehead protector was around her waist to complete the look. Ino had a great sense of style. Sakura would demolish me if I ever admitted that.

They continued fighting and throwing insults at each other. Sakura called Ino a talentless, fashion-deprived hooch while Ino called Sakura a wide-forehead dud. Suddenly, Sakura mentioned that Sasuke was hers and, well, all hell broke loose. If I thought Sakura was obsessed with Sasuke before, I really knew now that she was crazy for him and apparently Ino had mutual feelings. I didn't understand why he was so special. He didn't seem to associate himself with anyone.

As they continued to fight over who would be Sasuke's lover, I heard someone call my name. I turned towards sound and the two bickering girls paused from their love quarrel, both wondering who it was.

The owner of the call was the boy that I bumped into at the Hokage's Residence, Kiba. He waved excitedly as he approached me. With him were two other shinobi. One was a girl, the other a boy.

Akamaru hopped off his owner's head and dashed towards me. I was greeted with slobber, lots of slobber and happy yips. I smiled and cuddled with the energetic pup. Sakura and Ino made a noise of disgust. Ino remarked how repulsive and grimy the pup was. Guess they weren't fans of puppies, or dog slobber. But I didn't freaking care, Akamaru was just trying to say hello. _Dogs drool, so what._

"Hey, Quorra!" Kiba said, "How's it going? How do you like the village?"

I smiled and nodded. The village was interesting to say the least.

Kiba smiled back, "Ah, these are my teammates, Hinata Hyuuga and Shino Aburame."

"H-hello, nice to m-meet you," Hinata greeted. She was a small with short dark blue hair. She had a cream hooded jacket and navy blue pants. Her newly earned forehead protect laid around her neck. Shino remained silent behind his high-collar jacket and round sunglasses. I waved hello.

"You're really not talkative are you?" Kiba concluded.

"She can't talk," Sakura explained. "She had an accident and fell throat first on a set of monkey bars and damaged her vocal chords," she said matter-of-factly.

I shuddered. Hearing my horrible accuse was terrible the first time. Hearing it again made me want to hide myself under a rock. My face felt warm as everyone stood in silence. I hung my head down as deeper shades of red appeared.

_Fuck me, sideways._

"Wow," Ino said. "That's pretty pitiful."

_Okay, I take it back. She has an awful sense of style. Judgmental ogre._

"Well things happen. I once fell into a thorn bush while I was chasing Akamaru. Let's just say mom had to pull thorns out of my ass for the rest of the afternoon," He admitted, rubbing the back of his head with guilt.

I smiled shyly at Kiba. _Thank the heavens, Kiba understands my pain. Even though it is a complete lie._

I could feel Sakura and Ino itching to say something insulting when something, well someone, caught their attention. At that moment, Sasuke walked through the market and passed us without a single glance.

As if the girls were on fire, Sakura grabbed her endless amount of bags and quickly dashed to Sasuke. "Hey, Sasuke! Wait up!" with Ino right behind her. Neither one of them said goodbye.

I stared in awe. _Thanks for shopping with me, Sakura!_

After a moment of disbelief, "Wow, what a bunch of obsessed freaks," Kiba derived.

"You're just jealous that there aren't any girls drooling over you. The only ones drooling for you are your dogs," Shino criticized.

"What! No!" Kiba was so startled that poor Akamaru fell off his head into his arms. Kiba's face turned shades of beet red. "Why would I want girls all over me with every move I made?"

"I- I think it's sweet. They just care for Sasuke," Hinata whispered.

Kiba grunted. "Whatever."

I smirked. _Liar, you're so jealous._

"Well-l I have to go now. Father wants me home to train," Hinata said as she walked away, waving goodbye. "Bye, Q-Quorra. It was n-nice meeting you." I waved goodbye back.

Shino walked away as well. "Yeah, got to go too."

Within minutes, the group went from six people to only two. Might as well continue shopping, I still hadn't bought a new outfit yet. I waved goodbye to Kiba and walked away.

"Hey!" he yelled. "What are you doing now?"

I grabbed my newly bought notepad and wrote how I needed to buy some clothes.

"Cool! I can tag along if you want." Kiba's face turned red again.

_Was he that bored that he was willing to go shopping? With a girl?_ I shrugged. _Sure, whatever. Better than shopping alone._

"Sweet." Kiba placed Akamaru back upon his head and caught up with me.

We were in front of the shop Sakura was going to drag me into, Flirty Girl. The shop's window display had mannequins wearing frilly skirts and lace blouses, all in different shades of pink. I snorted. _Fuck that._

Kiba laughed, amused at my disgust and we continued on our way.

I stopped short when my eyes caught a store called Jammin' Leather. The mannequins were wearing black leather jackets and pants. One article caught my eye. _Perfect!_ I grabbed Kiba's wrist, which spun him, and dragged him inside. Both Kiba and Akamaru yelped in shock.

Inside, the store had a very dark atmosphere. Heavy music was playing and the wall décor was filled with bizarre and unique things. Skulls, guitars, depictions of Satan and such covered the walls and sculptures.

Kiba looked uncomfortable. "Huh, what do you want in _here_?"

I searched the store to find the precious piece of clothing that wonderfully entered my life. My eyes flickered with glee when I spotted it, ran, and instantly grabbed it. The article was a burgundy leather jacket with many compartments and gold hardware. _I love it!_

Kiba laughed witnessing me jump with joy. "You love leather, don't you?"

I shined a ridiculous smile and purchased the new love in my life along with a few pairs of black knee-length leggings and plain, loose-fitting, white V-neck T-shirts.

I waltzed out of the store with a healthy amount of bags. _Success! Goodbye old lame Kakashi hand-me-downs! Hello, new beauties!_

Walking back on the main street, Kiba asked if I wanted to get lunch. I obliged since I worked up some appetite.

* * *

We went to Ichiraku Ramen and both ordered miso ramen. As we chowed down, we conversed for a bit. Kiba told me a little about his life. He'd been with Akamaru since the pup was born and have been inseparable ever since. He has a sister named Hana and a mother named Tsume. His father left at an early age because, apparently, his mother was a "Madwomen" as he put it.

"She once threw the hairdryer out a second story window," Kiba said. "She was pissed that it wasn't working. Later we found out that that was because she forgot to plug it in." _She sounded like a very nice woman._

Kiba asked about my life, of course. I complied and told him how I didn't know jack-shit about it. After he told me a bit about his life, I felt it was okay to tell him mine. By the looks of it, he generally seemed distraught about it. He felt bad which was nice of him to care but I didn't want to be pitied. I waved him off, and soon after, he told me more stories about the Madwoman.

After we finished our ramen, I fished for my coin pouch so I could pay for us both, in a way of saying thanks for being my shopping buddy. Let's just say he was not having it.

"No way! You don't need to pay for me!"

I wrote in my notepad: YES I DO, ITS MY WAY OF SAYING THANKS!

"You don't _need_ to say _thanks_! I offered to join you!" Making a huge scene, he put money on the table.

I pushed his money away as I counted mine. Kiba instantly pushed it back.

"I'm PAY-ING..." he pronounced slowly. Like I was mute _and_ deaf.

Stubbornness got the best of me as crumbled his money in a fist and threw it in his face. One of the coins bounced off his nose. He wore a look of disbelief as I slammed my payment down and waved goodbye to Teuchi and Ayame, sticking my tongue out at Kiba as I walked out of the restaurant.

Kiba was stubborn too, but he followed behind, crossing his arms in defeat. "Thanks," he grumbled.

_You're Welcome!_

* * *

Kiba offered to walk me back to the apartment complex. We were almost there when a very, very interesting individual ran towards us. This kid was wearing an unnecessarily tight green jumpsuit with orange leg warmers. The kid had the perfect bowl haircut, too.

"Hello, Kiba! Hello, erm…"

"Quorra," Kiba informed.

"Hello, Quorra! I'm Rock Lee." He enthusiastically said as he jogged in place followed by jumping-jacks. I didn't know who was more energetic, this Rock Lee kid or Naruto.

"What's going on Lee?" Kiba asked.

Now doing push-ups, "I'm," push "making it," push "my personal mission," push "today, to hug," push "all my friends," push "to spread the youth" push up, push up, push up.

I looked at Kiba with a raised eyebrow. He definitely had the energy to accomplish it.

"How many friends have you hugged so far?" Kiba asked.

As if I became a mouse and Lee the hawk, he abruptly jumped up and gave me a rib-breaking hug. As he squeezed tighter, I felt all my breath leave my body. _Oh my God! I can't breathe! _I tried to flair my arms but they were pinned down to my broken spine.

_I can't even tell him he's suffocating me!_

Lee continued to strangle me via hug with a huge smile on his face. _I'm actually going to die! Lee!_

Thankfully, he loosened his death grip and I crumbled to the floor. I gagged for breath, coughing furiously. I looked up at Kiba who was staring frighteningly at Lee.

"Quorra was my first hug of the day!" Lee said as he looked devilishly at Kiba.

Kiba backed away slowly. "Lee, it's okay. I don't need a hug." Akamaru barked.

"Don't be ridiculous! You're my friend! That means you need to be hugged!"

Kiba ran away, causing poor Akamaru to fall off his head. Lee skipped with joy after him with Akamaru barking behind. The three of them chased each other in all directions. It was actually a comical sight. Kiba was running as fast as he could while Lee was peaceful skipping, like he could do this all day. I refilled my lungs with much needed oxygen and pulled myself back up.

Poor Kiba couldn't outrun him for long before Lee caught up and gave his well-known hug. I heard Kiba yell as the bones in his spine cracked. He went limb in defeat and groaned in pain. Once Lee was satisfied with the hug, he released him. Broken Kiba fell to the ground.

I walked over to see if he was alright, or you know, still breathing. Luckily, Kiba recovered soon enough and I helped him up.

"Got to go friends! I must hug more people and spread the youth!" Lee said as he waved goodbye and ran off, leaving a trail of dust behind him.

_I think he's going to accidentally kill someone. Definitely not a youthful move._

"Man that guy is something," Kiba said, rubbing his back.

I nodded in agreement as I started to rub my own_. __I will never see hugging the same way again._

After recovering from that traumatic experience, we continued walking until we ended up in front of my complex.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around."

I scribbled in my notebook a thank you note for hanging out with me.

"Sure, no problem," he rubbed the back of his head, sheepishly. "That's what friends are for."

I stared at him with shock. I guess we were considered friends now. My first real friend since I arrived. Well, second, if you include Lee because apparently we were friends or else he wouldn't had attempted to snap my spine. I gave him a big smile and we said our goodbyes as I watched him leave with Akamaru trailing behind him.

He turned to wave and I waved back. It was crazy but I felt the most relaxed around Kiba. He was stubborn and got hot-headed quickly, but he was still a fun person to hang out with. I'd say today was a good day.

"See ya later Quorra," he continued to wave. "Watch out for those monkey bars!"

I stopped waving mid-wave and turned red.

_Kakashi! I'm going to karate chop you in the fucking throat the next time I see you!_

* * *

**Quorra met Team Seven today and found them, erm, interesting. She has to start being careful on those monkey bars! But more importantly, how will Team Seven and Quorra do on Kakashi's test?**

**"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." -Bernard Meltzer**

**Reviews are love.**

**xo**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **There will be cussing. Isn't that obvious by now?

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Eight: The Bell Test 2.0**

"Come on, Quorra. Don't give me the cold shoulder," Kakashi pleaded as we walked to the training grounds. "I needed to make up some excuse, didn't I?"

I stuck my nose in the air and walked in front of him. Needless to say I was still mad at him.

_He could have came up with a better excuse!_

Kakashi sighed as he rubbed the bump on his head that I greeted him with this morning.

_He deserved much worse._

I was not only mad at him for telling everyone that I am the world's worst gymnast but also because I had to retake the bell test. I didn't understand why. I already passed, proved what I needed to prove. Kakashi explained that it was because I needed to pass a part of the test that I couldn't have passed before, whatever that meant. Either way, today was already starting off sour.

We arrived at the training grounds with the trio already there to greet us.

"Morning everyone, ready for your worst day?" Kakashi greeted.

"HEY, YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto and Sakura yelled.

"Well, a black cat crossed our path so we had to take the long way." Kakashi came up with the most pitiful excuses.

No one was buying it. Naruto mumbled something about him being a big fat liar. Sakura folded her arms and pouted. Sasuke was still and emotionless as always.

"Let's get started." Kakashi moved right along. "Your assignment is very simple. You just have to take these bells from me." He jingled three bells in front of us. The annoying chime rang through us. I moaned in remembrance.

"That's all there is to it. If you can't get them by noon, you'll go without lunch and you'll be tied to those posts." He pointed to three posts behind us, "and you will watch as I eat my lunch in front of you."

We all gave Kakashi a bitter look. _That's why he didn't want us to eat breakfast. That sneaky bastard._

"Wait a minute," Sakura said. "There's four of us. How come there's only three bells?"

Kakashi gave an approving look. "Well that way, at least one of you will end up tied to the post and ultimately failed the mission. That one goes back to the academy. Then again all four of you can flunk out, too. That includes you, Quorra. Everyone, but Quorra, can use any weapons, including shuriken. If you are not prepared to kill me, you won't be able to take the bells."

From the look at his dark eye, he was not kidding. He wanted us to attack him with full force, with the dull intent of killing him. How was Team Seven supposed to do that? A sensei was a mentor, a person you had respect for and looked up to. Kakashi was asking us to abandon all common courtesy and respect, to throw that out the window.

_Damn._ It was a disadvantage enough that I couldn't communicate, but now I couldn't use weapons because of the deal with the Third Hokage. I was to compete with shinobi that have been studying and training for years. I was screwed.

Sakura yipped. "But, Sensei! Those weapons are too dangerous!"

"HAHA-yeah," Naruto added. "Especially since you couldn't even dodge that eraser." Naruto laughed again from the memory.

Matter-of-factly, Kakashi replied, "class clowns are usually the weakest links. You can safely ignore them, lowest scores, losers."

_Oh, that was harsh._ Naruto crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air, '_hmph_!'

"When I say 'start' you can begin."

I tried to conjure up some sort of concrete plan, but Naruto already made his move before Kakashi gave the go. The wild child attacked Kakashi with a kunai knife.

Kakashi fluently turned Naruto's arm so that his weapon aimed at the back of his head.

"Don't be in such a hurry. I didn't say start yet," Kakashi warned.

Naruto struggled to free himself, but Kakashi had a solid lock on him. He growled in frustration.

"But you came at me with the full intent of destroying me." Kakashi gave a smirk from under his mask, giving Team Seven their first non-insulting comment. "I am beginning to like you guys. Get ready and… Start."

At that instant, Kakashi pushed Naruto away and everyone made their first moves. I ran to the closest cover, bushes. Sakura and Sasuke concealed themselves as well while Naruto stood in the open.

Naruto shouted a battle cry and charged at Kakashi, who, cockily, pulled out a book and began to read. Naruto swung his kunai knife which Kakashi dodged with ease. He turned the page, bored, infuriating the yellow-haired ninja.

"Shinobi battle techniques part one, taijutsu, the physical part," Kakashi said.

I remembered Kakashi mentioning taijutsu when testing me. He thought that was my main fighting style until I made a clone, blowing that theory.

Stubborn, Naruto tried his luck with a kick this time which Kakashi blocked with his non-reading arm. Naruto yelled and continued to attempt to lay a hit on his Sensei, each time failing miserably. Naruto's final punch hit air as Kakashi snuck up from behind him. Kakashi was crouched with a seal that displayed two fingers.

"Don't let your enemies sneak up from behind you all the time," Kakashi scolded.

I heard Sakura warn Naruto to get out of the way as Kakashi yelled, "Too late! Leaf village secret finger jutsu. A thousand years of death!" His jutsu sent Naruto soaring into air. His hands covering his bottom as he soared away.

_He basically shoved his fingers up Naruto's ass,_ I sighed.

Kakashi continued reading his novel. Naruto threw shurikens. Kakashi caught them with his fingers as if it was child's play.

"What are you doing now?" Kakashi asked, displeased. "You know you won't get lunch unless you take a bell by noon."

"I know, I know! You told us already!" Naruto yelled in frustration. "How am I supposed to fight as I'm starving to death!"

Kakashi must have gone easy on me. He wasn't even using a fraction of his energy. I needed to come up with some sort of plan. Naruto was eating dust out there.

Naruto looked up at Kakashi with determination in his eyes. "I'm going to pass this test and not get sent back to the academy," Naruto declared. "Believe it!" His demeanor shined, his passion for success, even though at this point, it was highly implausible.

When it seemed hopeless, multiple shadow clones of the rash boy came jumping out of the water. The amount of clones he could make was incredible, compared to my one. Naruto may not have brain but he did have power.

The determined clones charged at Kakashi. "You can't beat me with this jutsu, Naruto. You're still the worst student," Kakashi said, condescending.

After that moment, one of Naruto's clones jumped onto Kakashi's back!

"What?" Kakashi yelled. "He got me from behind?"

I couldn't help but be happy for the rambunctious boy. He was really trying to prove everyone, including myself, wrong.

The blues in his eyes sparkled with lush and excitement, "Didn't you say don't let your enemies get behind you? Good advice, Sensei. Believe it."

Shadow clones piled upon Kakashi, leaving him hardly visible as the sea of orange jumpsuits overpowered him.

"I am going to get a bell!" the real Naruto yelled as he ran towards Kakashi to throw a punch. With all the shadow clones pinning Kakashi down, it seemed like there was no way Kakashi could get out of this predicament.

"This is for nailing me in the butt earlier! You are mine and so are those bells!" Naruto screamed, finally gaining the upper-hand.

All hope was lost; however, when Naruto's fist hit one of his shadow clones instead of Kakashi.

I was just as astonished as Naruto. _Where did Kakashi go?_

Naruto yelled how the clone must be Kakashi in disguise and the mountain of clones started pummeling each other, desperate to find him. Fists were flying, screams were heard, and hair was pulled. Knots of limbs entangled each other.

Finally, Naruto realized that if he undid his jutsu, the real Kakashi will be the only one left. And lord behold us, when all the clones disappeared, left was just a very bumped and bruised boy.

I sighed in disappointment. _Never mind, Naruto is completely hopeless._

If things couldn't get any worse, I saw the battered boy's eyes widen as he spotted something by the nearby tree.

_Is that a bell? Wait… Naruto!_

But shortly after, the Knucklehead fell for the trap as he grabbed the bell and a rope tied around his ankle and hung him from the tree. He was flaying and screaming.

Kakashi reappeared to grab the bell. Sighing, "Think before you use a jutsu or else your opponent might use it against you." Naruto moaned.

"Oh," he continued. "And if the bait is obvious, don't take it. A ninja must see threw deception."

Kakashi disappeared as I heard, in a different direction, two sets of feet, followed by a girl's scream, which could only be from Sakura. Hesitant for a moment, I ran towards the sound. I might not be much help, but I can't just leave her.

Running from bush to bush, I slid behind a tree when I spotted both Kakashi and Sakura. Kakashi was forming some sort of hand seal as leaves flew around Sakura. She looked dazed, zombified. I never seen something like this before.

Her eyes grew wide and she began to shake and scream with fear. I tried to identify what she was so scared of but there was nothing surrounding her.

"Shinobi battle skill number two, the illusion jutsu. Sakura studied it in class but she still couldn't see it coming," Kakashi said in pity with the book still in his grasps.

If this was an illusion jutsu like Kakashi said, then this could be an example of genjutsu.

Sakura screamed in fear again and passed out. Whatever she was seeing must be truly frightening. Kakashi was one cruel shinobi.

It was remarkable. Two members from Team Seven have been defeated and it wasn't even mid-morning. Naruto acted too rash and Sakura didn't act at all. If I wanted to succeed, I needed to learn from these shinobis' mistakes.

Leaving Sakura, I snuck through the scrubs and greenery in search of the last standing shinobi from Team Seven.

Faint sounds of metal clashing caught my attention, so I stealthily followed the noise. Hiding, I witnessed Sasuke and Kakashi sparring it out.

Sasuke's movements, compared to Naruto's and Sakura's were out of this world. They were more calculated as he threw his weapons at the nonchalant ninja. Whenever Kakashi dodged the first attack, Sasuke would try to trick him with the next.

Sasuke's defensive skills were just as impressive. He performed substitution clones whenever he was in a tight situation. He moved too fast for my eyes to track him.

Kakashi fought Sasuke without once glancing at his book, proving how much on a different level Sasuke was. Kakashi didn't look like he was struggling, but you could tell he had all his attention aimed toward his quiet, yet powerful, student.

At one point, Sasuke almost grabbed one of the bells. He used all his limbs to his advantage. With a kick and a punch, that didn't stop him from twisting his whole body mid-air, to build up speed for an additional kick from his other leg. Kakashi had to push him away to give distance. It was breath-taking.

"Well, you are different from the others. I'll grant you that," Kakashi said, pleased, but he wasn't convinced. Sasuke was strong, but strong and witty enough to out-smart Kakashi, I wasn't sure.

Sasuke was far from done with this battle. The look of vengeance and rage screamed in his onyx eyes as he performed hand seals. Sasuke began to pull back, sucking in air, it seemed. I had no idea what he was doing.

But Kakashi did, "What!? Impossible! Genin can't do that, takes up too much chakra. There's no way!"

I never saw Kakashi so shocked before. He was _always_ either bored or bored, but never shocked.

Sasuke exhaled flames that licked of orange and yellow. He was blowing fire!

The inferno shot at Kakashi, swarming him to the point where I could no longer see him.

Chills ran up my spine. The pure power and intensity Sasuke possessed was immense. Fire breathing sounded like something you heard in fairy tales and make believe. I never expected shinobi had this much potential. It was overwhelming.

The hell fire extinguished, leaving behind a massive crater and Kakashi was nowhere to be found. _Where did he go?_

Sasuke wondered the same thing as he searched frantically for him. Looking above, in front and behind him, we both didn't know where Kakashi disappeared to.

A hand rocketed from the ground underneath Sasuke's feet. The undead came back to life!

"I'm where you least suspect me," muffled the voice that was Kakashi's.

Sasuke's face grew with true terror has the undead sucked him into the Earth. His head perched above ground was all that remained of him.

Kakashi squatted in front of Sasuke's head. "Right under your feet. Earth style, Head Hunter jutsu."

Sasuke struggled to get out of the mole hole he was sucked into.

"Can't get out, can you?" Kakashi tsked. "That was ninjutsu, the third shinobi battle skill. You have talent and you are different from the others, but different isn't always better. They say the nail that sticks up is the one who gets hammered down." With that, Kakashi disappeared, leaving a stuck and confused shinobi.

I walked out from my hiding spot with a look of confusion and shock. Sasuke looked up with total utter frustration.

"Ugh!" he yelled.

_You totally got yourself screwed there didn't you, buddy?_

At that moment, Sakura dashed past us. She woken up from the genjutsu. Almost missing us, she stopped short at the sight of Sasuke. She froze, unable to fathom that all that was left of Sasuke was a head.

"Sakura?" Sasuke questioned.

The realization hit her that that was indeed Sasuke and proceeded to scream and then faint.

_Oh, boy. Not again. It's not her day._

Sasuke and I looked at each other in disbelief, like she was the one who was body-less.

Sighing, I walked over and fanned her with my notepad. _Come on, Sakura. I need help getting Sasuke out of the ground._

She came back to reality with a groan. "What happened?" she asked. "I could have sworn I saw Sasuke..." she said as she simultaneously rechecked her suspicions and behold, Sasuke was still a Whack-A-Mole.

"Sasuke!" She screamed. Her eyes were rolling to the back of her skull, ready to faint again.

_Oh, no you don't. _I grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently.

"Sakura! I'm alright but get me out of here," Sasuke called.

The voice of her love snapped her back to reality. The gears in her head began turning.

"Oh, Sasuke!" she pushed me aside without showing any gratitude, landing me face-first in the dirt. I was completely invisible as she ran to Sasuke.

"What happened? Was this Sensei's doing?" She caressed his cheek. I sat with soot everywhere, left behind.

Sasuke knew exactly what to say to Sakura. He could tell her to help him take over the world and she would oblige. "Yes. Now can you both help get me out of here! We don't have much time left!"

We helped Sasuke out of his dirt tomb. Sakura was so glad he was finally freed, she gave him a bear hug.

"You're okay, Sasuke. I was so worried." Her grip grew stronger.

"I'm fine. Let go of me!" Sasuke said. Annoyance tinged his voice as he tried the pry the love lust girl off his torso.

Reluctantly, she let him go. "Sasuke, come on. Kakashi-sensei is a _jonin_. There's no way we can defeat him. None of his students have been able to." She grabbed Sasuke's shoulders, "Let's just give up."

"I will not give up," he wrenched his arm away. "That will set me back from my goals. I'm an avenger. I need to destroy him."

I rolled my eyes. _He's so dramatic._

"If you want to give up, Sakura. Go ahead, but I'm not," Sasuke concluded.

Sakura looked hurt by his comment, but she idolized every word. "Okay, Sasuke. Okay. But how would you get a bell?"

Sasuke, frustrated, ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know. He is strong and we are not."

The three of us stood, contemplating how we could pull it off. But, truthfully, Sasuke was right. Kakashi was crazy strong and extremely skilled. Sasuke was by far the strongest, most capable of pulling it off and even he failed.

_Damn it, Kakashi._ I get you went super easy on me, but why do I have to do this stupid test again? Now that he stepped up his game a thousand-fold, how could any of us compete with that? There were only three bells and four fighters. I can't do it, I can't do it on my own.

_...on my own_.

Kakashi said I had to retake it to pass a certain part I couldn't have done before. What if that was because I was on my own?

I stared at Sasuke and Sakura. They are just as baffled as I was. It suddenly clicked, it made sense now. The only difference between this test and the last was the fact that I wasn't alone this time.

I smacked my palm on my forehead. _How could I have been so oblivious?_

None of us can defeat Kakashi alone, but _together_ we potentially could. It was highly unlikely, but that was what Kakashi was testing. If we could do it.

Sasuke recognized the awareness of my expression. "What is it, Quorra?"

There was no time to explain. It was almost noon. I flagged them to follow me. We were going to need the Knucklehead for this.

* * *

Naruto was still hanging from the tree.

"Oh, hey guys," Naruto said, face red from the buildup of blood to his head. "How's it hanging?" He laughed at his own joke. "Get it? Hanging? 'Cause I'm upside-down, _hanging_?"

"Now's not the time for jokes," Sasuke scolded, cutting Naruto free. He fell with a thump. "Quorra has a plan to get the bells."

Naruto rubbed his head, "Geez, Sasuke. You could have warned me before you cut the rope."

Sasuke smirked. "Heads up, Loser."

"Oh, bother," Sakura sighed.

"So, what's this plan of yours, Quorra?" Naruto asked.

I reached in my pocket for my notepad to find the spot barren. _Where did it... fuck._

I took it out to fan Sakura before and I must have left it there. _Just my luck. There's no time to get it now._

Three paired of eyes stared at me in wonder. I tried to act out what my plan was. Pointing at each of us, including myself, and comically made punching movement, to resemble us all fighting together.

"Wait," Naruto said, confused. "You want us to fight each other?"

My palm hit my forehead once again. At times like these, I really wished I had a voice. I replayed a very theatrical game of charades with them.

"Punch a tree!" Naruto yelled. "No, no fight with air! Fight with air? Quorra, that won't work."

I hung my head in defeat. They don't understand me. I could crawl up in a hole right there.

"Naruto, you dunce," Sasuke reprimanded. "She doesn't want us to fight each other, she wants us to fight together."

"You mean like teamwork," Sakura stated.

_Yes! Yes! Someone finally gets me._

I shook Sakura again, this time with glee and danced to demonstrate my happiness. My faith in humanity was restored.

"Well, Quorra. What's the plan?" Sasuke asked.

Team Seven looked at me, eagerness in a form of flames behind their eyes. They wanted a plan and I was happy to supply them with one.

* * *

**It didn't seem like Quorra and Team Seven were off to the right start but the gears are turning! What do you think the plan is?**

**"Better never than late." -George Bernard Shaw**

**Reviews are love.**

**xo**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Language, just a tad.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Nine: The Plan**

They wanted a plan and I was happy to supply them with one...

Four hands gathered in the center of the circle. Our strategy was set. Those bells were ours.

"Let's do this! Believe it!" Naruto said, laughing giddily.

"Yeah, let's make him pay! Cha!" Sakura had fury in her eyes. She wanted to get back for what Kakashi did to Sasuke.

Sasuke was in the zone, concentrated. "This ends now."

We counted to three, lifted our hands, and made for a break. History was about to be made. Everyone went to their positions. Sasuke, Sakura, and I hid while Naruto stood out in the open.

"Hey, Sensei!" Naruto yelled. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

It didn't take long for the nonchalant ninja to appear upon request. "What is it, Naruto?" Kakashi said as he turned a page. "Haven't you given up yet?"

"No way!" Naruto declared. "I'll never give up. I'm going to get a bell and one day will be the greatest Hokage who ever lived. Believe it!"

Kakashi wasn't convinced. "I don't see that happening. You're still a class clown, a class-A loser."

The remark doesn't affect Naruto. Words bounced off him, word proof. He only laughed as an evil smirk appeared on his smug face, like he knew something Kakashi didn't. "Oh, yeah? Watch me."

With that, Naruto made several shadow clones and charged at Kakashi. He was a clone master.

Kakashi continued to read his book as he deflected the clones. One by one, they wisped away in smoke.

Only a few remained. "You are beginning to bore me. Is that all you got?" Kakashi challenged.

Naruto didn't reply as he performed another jutsu. With the final hand gesture in place, he said, "Let's see how you deal with this, old man."

In a puff of smoke, Naruto, the young boy, transformed into a tall, voluptuous woman. Naruto was completely naked with clouds around her privates.

"Oh, Kakashi- Sensei," She-Naruto said, flirtatiously.

Any man would be gawking. Naruto was a sexual, clothes less, woman. A body men adored and women strived for, jealous at others who had it, curvy, luscious. A mannequin that I would never possess as I was built flat- chested and square body. It was a dirty dream coming true. Kakashi, however, was expressionless.

"Enough with your silly book, Sensei," she said, seductively. "I'm the real thing, ba-by," emphasizing the syllables in 'baby'.

She struck several poses to show off her curvy body and played with her long, blonde pigtails. Her celestial eyes were bashful, blinking faster than a bird's wings.

I couldn't believe Naruto could transform into that. Well, I could believe. It was _Naruto._ But, I was still impressed. He wasn't kidding when he said he had the perfect distraction.

Kakashi's expression was unreadable. A man's fantasy was perched on a pedestal, in the flesh as Kakashi looked criticizing. I didn't know what to make of it as he said nothing.

She-Naruto walked closer. "Why don't you give me a bell, Sensei? So we can get out of here and get to know each other." She ended her performance by blowing a kiss.

Kakashi didn't move a muscle as she approached. As still as stone he stood.

But he finally opened his mouth. "You're not my type," Kakashi said, coldly.

She gasped, offended and made a face of disgust as she vanished away.

In the smoke, someone else appeared. It was Sakura's turn. She ambushed Kakashi with an attack of her kunai. He dodged it with ease.

"You're mine, Sensei," Sakura said, in a fighting stance, kunai tight in her grasps. "You're going to pay for what you did to Sasuke."

Kakashi sighed. "Being in love and being stupid, I see."

Sakura ignored his insult and attacked. She bolted straight towards him.

Kakashi made a hand gesture. "Well, maybe being in love and being stupid is exactly the same thing." And just like that, Kakashi trapped Sakura in genjutsu. She was back in the illusion. She remained motionless with the same glazed look. Her body slumped forward.

Kakashi stood feet away. "You fell for it, again? Sakura, I thought you were better than this. I'm disappointed."

Sakura was better than that. Sure, she had an unnatural obsession with a certain someone, but move that aside, she's smart. Her intelligence was her strength.

Sakura's glassy eyes slowly rose to look at her Sensei. A smirk gracefully played across her face. "I wouldn't fail twice," she said as her faked senses cleared. Another kunai soared and flew past Kakashi, inches away from his ear. It nailed the tree behind him.

"You missed," Kakashi said, matter-of-factly.

Sakura shook her head. "Like I said, Sensei. I'm not failing again."

Kakashi peered at his student, questioningly. His curiosity, however, was soon answered. Sakura's kunai, in fact, cut a line that triggered a barrage of shurikens.

Kakashi swiftly transported himself to a high tree branch, away from the rain of weaponry. He had little time to rest as he was surprised by fireballs.

Sasuke's turn.

He was on the ground, using his fire breathing skills and shot fireballs off, one after another. Kakashi dashed out of the way, each time hopping from branch to branch between trees.

Simultaneously, Sakura threw kunai to hopefully throw Kakashi's game off. The silver haired shinobi managed to block each of Sakura's knives. Flames and metal were bombarding Kakashi and yet he was still able to sly his way around them. He wasn't too focused on his book, now tucked safely away. Anyone of Sasuke's infernos could set his precious book aflame. His book was safe, but he was not.

As soon as Kakashi touched solid land, a warrior cry rang through the air. Naruto ran towards Kakashi with many clones. Between the flames, kunai and various traps being triggered. Team Seven was throwing everything they got at him. All the bells and whistles, their strengths, their specialties. It didn't take long for Naruto and his clones to catch up. Several Narutos jumped onto Kakashi, dog piling him. The upper-hand didn't last long as the pile soon deflated. Kakashi, once again, disappeared. Team Seven regrouped and searched for their Sensei.

Kakashi reappeared in front of the trio. "Nice try, you three, but you're going to have to do a lot better than that."

Team Seven didn't have a look of defeat. Instead, with smiles and snickers, a look of guilt as if they stole cookies from the jar before they had their dinners. Naruto laughed hysterically.

Kakashi rose an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

Sakura couldn't hold her excitement either. Giggles escaped her covered lips.

Kakashi couldn't understand what was going on. He didn't notice that something was missing, something precious. Something he held higher than vivacious women.

"Guys," Sasuke said. "I don't think he knows what's happening here." Team Seven got their answer as Kakashi continued to stare blankly.

"I think you're right," Naruto laughed. "Do you think we should LETTER know? Should we start with attention, attention, READ all about it?!" He grinned wider with each emphasized word.

Kakashi's confused expression quickly metamorphosed to complete horror. He grabbed his pockets, frantically, to find that they were empty.

"Looking for this, Sensei?" Naruto said as he brought Kakashi's book into view.

That was the signal. Time for my part of the plan to commence.

"What!" Kakashi yelped. "How did you get that?"

"What? This little o' thing?" Naruto asked, waving it around like bait. "I found it."

"You found it?" Kakashi asked.

"It was a distraction," Sakura said.

"We worked together in order to get hands on something you couldn't live without," Sasuke concluded.

Kakashi looked among his three students. He had a look of dread, probably because he didn't know what I had planned with his idolized book.

Naruto did the unspeakable and rose a kunai knife to the book. It became a hostage, as if he had his knife against its neck.

"Hand us the bells or else he book gets it," Naruto threatened, pressing the tip of the knife into the cover, denting it.

"If you think you can threaten me with a book..." Kakashi said, cautiously, not sounding convinced.

"We can and we will," Sakura giggled.

"Admit it!" Naruto barked. "You are totally screwed. Lose-lose situation!"

"Now, now," Kakashi said, raising his hand in a calming matter.

To turn up the heat, Sasuke performed his hand gestures for his well-known fire jutsu. He huffed a breath of air.

"No!" Kakashi yelled reaching forward, wanting to grasp what he treasured most.

The tug forward was all I needed. One tug and my part of the plan was done. As Kakashi moved towards his cherished book, there was a faint _snap. _Kakashi paused and checked for the source but it was too late. The pocket where the bells hung were no longer there. Instead, they were firmly in my grasps.

Kakashi fixated on the bells as I rose them and rung their unmistakable sound, grinning from ear to ear. Team Seven let out a cheer.

"We did it!" Naruto and Sakura screamed.

Kakashi fixated on the bells as I rose them and rung their unmistakable sound. Grinning from ear to ear, Team Seven let out a cheer.

Kakashi looked pleased, "Well done, you four. I am impressed. You seemed to nab the bells."

Naruto mocked him. "Yeah and all we had to do was have Quorra sneak up behind you."

Kakashi nodded, agreeing. "That may be so, but who's going back to the academy?"

We stopped our celebration. One second we were loud, rambunctious. Now, quiet, silent. Our bubble was burst.

"Going back?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, going back. Failing. As you all well know, there are only three bells and four students," Kakashi said.

I held the three bells in front of me. I knew it was going to come down to this. Only three of us could pass, even if we worked together. We all knew this, but we still agreed to the plan and used teamwork.

The bells rung faintly in my shaky hands. I stared at Team Seven. They were wild crazy, love crazy, and revenge crazy but this bunch worked for years to make it this far. I have only been here for a short time and wasn't even a shinobi. It was all too obvious to me who deserved these bells.

I handed them each a bell, a token of their hard work and success. It took a few failures but in the end, they were triumphant and I couldn't be happier for them, even if that meant I was to be left behind.

The trio gave me mixed looks.

"What about you, Quorra?" Sakura asked.

I waved her off. I was happy with my decision. I wasn't going to change my mind.

Naruto didn't look content with my answer as he squeezed his bell, hard. "I'm not taking this."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto's knuckles turned red around the bell. "I'm not accepting this if that means Quorra fails. It's not fair. She came up with the plan."

Sasuke joined in. "She's the one who told us that we had to work together. She deserves this more than we do." He walked over and placed his bell in my hand. Naruto followed after.

Sakura did the same as well. She looked me in the eyes as she said, "We are a team. It's all of us or none of us."

I couldn't believe what they were saying. They were willing to throw away all those years of training, for me? I wasn't even technically their team member, yet they treated me as their equal. I wasn't a shinobi, but that didn't matter to them. For the first time, I was actually speechless. I stared at Kakashi with three bells in my hand, dumbfounded.

Kakashi was shocked as well. "Is his your final decision? Are you willing to go back to the academy and pursue all those hard years of work because of her?"

Team Seven nodded in unison. They were positive.

A smile peaked from under Kakashi mask. "Well, then. I regret to inform you that you all..." He stared at us individually, landing on me last.

"Pass."

We looked at each other, awestruck.

"We pass?!" Sakura asked.

Naruto didn't question it, "Yahoo! We passed. I knew we could do it! Believe it!"

Sasuke looked pleased as well.

I gave Sakura a hug and we leaped with joy. _We did it!_ _How?_

"You all pass," Kakashi repeated. "You four were able to do something that none of my previous students were ever able to do. That was _teamwork. _You needed to work together, use everyone's skills. Clones, precision, fire, logic, in order to pass.

There was something else. A good team has to have _sacrifice. _You have to be willing to give it your all for your teammates. They will be fighting with you, side-by-side for now on. You have to have their back as they will do the same for you. It didn't matter if you got the bells. You all would had either pass or fail based on how you acted as a _team._"

I knew Kakashi was a sneaky bastard but the four of us were still surprised. Those stupid bells were meaningless.

Naruto and Sakura argued with Kakashi for several minutes after. They couldn't believe they had to go through all that. Sasuke and I gave each a look and shrugged. It was what it was.

"You made us do this _starving!_" Naruto yelled. "We could have passed out from _famine!_"

Kakashi rolled his eye. "I'm sorry, Naruto." He wasn't sorry. "Why don't we have a celebratory lunch then? My treat?"

Those magic words were all Naruto needed to hear and everything was forgiven. Sakura and Naruto followed Kakashi, eager to chow-down.

"Aren't you coming, Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke replied that he had to go. "Maybe some other time," he said and walked in the opposite direction.

"Come on, Quorra," Naruto waved at me.

I stared between Sasuke and the others. As much as I was famish and my stomach was devouring itself, there was something I wanted to do. I waved Naruto and the others to go on ahead without me as I dashed to catch up with Sasuke.

Hearing my loud footsteps, he turned, slightly annoyed.

"What?" Sasuke asked, impatiently.

Before I could explain myself, various girly screams echoed in the distance.

"Sasuke!" one yelled.

"What? It's Sasuke?!" another cried.

"Sasuke, my love! Hey!" screamed a third.

A horde of hormone-driven girls charged towards us. Before I could question what in the good world was happening, Sasuke grabbed my wrist and dragged me behind cover. The stampede frantically searched high and low for us. Well, not us, _him._

Sasuke was beyond annoyed. "Dammit," he hissed. "I can never go two feet without a girl declaring their love and pouncing on me."

Seeing his desperation for freedom and peace, a deal unraveled in my mind. I wanted to ask him if we could possibly train one-on-one sometime. The power and agility he had when he fought Kakashi was nothing but jaw-dropping. If I practiced my fighting skills with him, maybe he could help me improve that much faster.

But, he wouldn't be up to that willingly. Sasuke was the definition of anti-social. If he could train on his own, I'm sure he would be more than happy to do so. Girls are always all over him. Why would he want to deal with another one, even if I have no interest in him that way?

I had a possible plan now. He had something I wanted but I could help him too.

I tapped his shoulder and rose two index fingers. Pointing to us, I showed us sparring, hoping he got the clue. Then I pointed to the blood-thirsty girls and pointed to us again.

He gave me a questioned look but he managed to piece the actions together. "You help me with the psychos and in return we train together?"

I nodded, affirmatively and held out my hand. 'Deal?' I mouthed.

Sasuke looked between me and the girls. It didn't take him long to have a decision. "Deal."

We shook. Just like that, the deal was sealed. I got what I wanted. That was easier than I thought it would be. Lucky me.

"So what do we do?" Sasuke asked.

I impulsively held Sasuke's hand and pulled him out of our hiding spot. I laced my fingers with his, making the facade that much more believable.

_This should be good._

We walked past the over obsessive, antsy teens, keeping our attention straight ahead. Paying no mind to them.

The girls' reactions were a mixture of shock and confusion as they gasped and whispered into their friends' ear. One girl with short brown hair, even fainted. Luckily, another girl, her friend perhaps, caught her.

On top of that was anger, a heap ton of anger.

"That bitch thinks she can steal my Sasuke," a girl said.

"He's my Sasuke," another argued back.

"She's not even pretty," whispered others.

Sasuke and I pretended that no one else was around. Sasuke was a professional at it. We soon walked past the sea of emotions and insults and was in the clear.

Sasuke let go of my hand. "Thanks for that."

I shrugged, it was no big deal.

"Training in the morning," he promised. "'kay?"

I gave him the thumbs up.

_Sounds good._

* * *

**That plan worked out surprisingly smooth for Quorra and Team Seven. Kakashi's weakness was his precious book. Of course! Why didn't I think of that?**

**Next chapter is the beginning of something very interesting...**

**"In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." -Dwight Eisenhower  
**

**Reviews are love.**

**xo**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Language. Colorful language.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Golden**

It has been a month since Team Seven and I had miraculously came together and, as Kakashi told us later, become the first team to ever pass the test.

"You all should be thanking Quorra" he told the team, since I was the one who put the pieces together. I had to admit, it felt good to figure something out for once.

Since then, we had been training most days. I improved on my stamina, mainly, and showed some signs of proper chakra manipulation. I'd also improved on controlling my only jutsu, the single shadow clone.

I had more physicals and blood tests taken to see if there were any changes. But alas, it was the same. Same blood samples, same questions, same non-conclusions.

On a brighter note, I connected more with Team Seven. Naruto and I get ramen at Ichiraku's after every training session. We often compete to see who could eat the most ramen. Of course, the Ramen King himself, always won.

I even gone shopping a few more times with Sakura; though she mainly talked about Sasuke. She gave me the cold shoulder for the longest time before she allowed me to explain to her that I wasn't a 'heart-stabbing bitch' as she put it. Eventually, she believed me and got over it and all was right in the world again.

Surprisingly, I managed to form some sort of bond with doom-and-gloom Sasuke. We often sparred together, as a fulfillment to our deal. I helped shoo away vicious girls and he helped me train and gave tips for fighting strategies. Even if he tended to kick my ass, I've been learning a lot. I was trying to be a true shinobi, even though I was not one, officially. But I promise, I got a few good moves in.

It had gotten to the point where I could write jokes on my notepad and he would express the _slightest_ smirk. This was a lot coming from a guy who openly admitted his desire to murder someone, whoever he/she was.

Yeah, that's right, I wrote the jokes. As in, my voice still had not returned. What kind of bullshit was that?

But, the strongest relationship that I formed was with Kiba. We hung out whenever I was not training, eating ramen, shopping, or being mauled by she-devils. We often argued over the dumbest shit but it was all in good fun. He loved to joke about my cruel faith with the monkey bars for which I returned him with a brutal punch of some sort.

Kakashi was doomed forever for making up such a story, but I couldn't complain too much because he does allow me to go off on my own, even if that was against the Third Hokage's orders.

Oh, and I constantly get nightmares, almost every night, leaving poor, dead-eyed Kakashi checking up on me all the time. I would say that was an everlasting punishment for him but, obviously, I wasn't enjoying it any more than he was. They were so vivid, so realistic that every time I awaken, I fear my pounding heart will one day explode.

Today, for whatever reason, Team Seven and I were gathered by the front gates of Konoha. Kakashi was talking to the two shinobi who patrolled the gates. I couldn't hear what they were conversing about, but Kakashi was currently talking to the one with some sort of bandage across his nose. The other shinobi, who wore this forehead protector as a bandana, seemed to be agreeing with them as he casually nodded from time to time.

The four of us were a small distance away. Naruto was rocking from side to side as if the five minutes we have been standing here had, in reality, been five hours.

"Man! What's Kakashi Sensei talking to them so long about! I really want to go get ramen!"

"Kakashi Sensei is an important jonin, Naruto. He has important business to attend to," Sakura lectured. Sasuke stood a few feet away with his arms crossed and a look that screamed, 'I do not care'.

I wondered what Kakashi was talking to them about. I tilted my head and strained to hear anything but the only sounds were coming from Naruto bantering. If only I could read lips.

"Ugh! But miso ramen sounds so good right now. Kakashi won't notice if I'm gone for a few minutes." Naruto said as he attempted to sneak away.

"Naruto, you idiot!" Sakura yelled simultaneously as I heard a _womp_. I assumed it was a solid punch to Naruto's head.

"Oi! Sakura!" Naruto was holding his head. "Why do you have to punch so hard?"

Sakura snorted. "Well, if you weren't such an idiot, I wouldn't have to. Now would I? Isn't that right Sasuke?"

Cue cricket sounds.

Still rubbing his bruised cranium, "I wonder if I should have just one bowl of ramen with extra pork or two bowls without extra pork. Oh, who am I kidding, I could eat three bowls right now." Sakura groaned in defeat. "But should I have extra pork? Quorra what do you think?"

Only half paying attention, I was about to shrug my shoulders when, just beyond the gates, a groan caught our attention.

We saw a young shinobi crumbled in front of the gates and ran towards him. Sprawled on the ground was a boy with ash blond hair, dressed in a black shinobi uniform. He had his hands over his stomach as blood flowed between his fingers and pooled around him. He looked up at us, eyes bright blue and scared. Bruises covered his face and a split lip oozed blood and dribbled down his chin. His forehead protector didn't have the leaf symbol on it, which meant he wasn't from the Fire Country. Either way, I couldn't help but worry. He was just a kid.

"Pu-pulease," he sputtered. His split lip bled further, reopening the wound that was desperately trying to heal. "Please help. My team has been ambushed." He coughed, "The attackers are ruthless. I'm the only one that managed to escape, but..." His body began convulsing. "But please help. I beg of you. Who knows what these men will do if they have her. It would be devastating."

Naruto chimed in, thoughts of ramen were forgotten. "Her? Who's her? Is she in danger?"

Before the young shinobi could answer, he used the remainder of his strength to point us in the general location. Then, passed out cold.

"Okay," Kakashi said. "If what he is saying is true, we have to check it out. They are incredibly close to the village and any possibility of an attack needs to be checked out."

"Hai," everyone said. I nodded my head affirming.

"Kotetsu, Izumo. Take him to the hospital and alert the Third Hokage that Team Seven is going to check a potential threat out," Kakashi ordered.

"Hai!" they both yelled as they gathered the young shinobi, with them on each of his side, and vanished.

Still in command, "Alright team, let's go check it out."

"Yes! Let's go kick some ass!" Naruto screamed enthusiastically.

"Oh, bother" Sakura sighed.

"Hmph," from the vocal Uchiha.

Everyone started to take off and I was about to as well, but I was hesitant. One of the conditions I had with the Third was that I remained in the village at all times. But, I was also supposed to stay with, or relatively close, to Kakashi. So following one of the rules would mean breaking the other.I stood by the gates, biting my nails, in anticipation.

Kakashi noticed my hesitance. "Quorra, there's no time to lose. We can worry about what the Third Hokage will say later."

_He's right. This is an emergency. _With that being said, I rushed to catch up with the team.

This was the first time, since Kakashi found me, that I had left the village. I wondered if this would be a better experience than the last time…

_Doubt it._

* * *

We quickly leaped through the trees towards the general location where the shinobi directed us. Soon enough, we knew we arrived because shinobi were sprawled out in what looked like a major bloodshed.

Naruto summed up the entire perspective. "Shit."

Shit was right. Whatever happened here was no child's play. These shinobi were not as fortunate as their comrade. That young shinobi should be blessed for escaping.

"Search for any clues that can give us an idea of what happened here," Kakashi declared.

We split up and searched for anything that could give us a tell-told sign of what could cause this. We each followed our own path and I did the same. I was hoping to find a survivor who could tell us what was going on. _This is so awful. What the hell happened here?_

My ears perked as I heard Naruto yell that he found someone. We immediately rushed over to his location.

When we regrouped, we found that Naruto did find a survivor, but it was not a shinobi. In fact, it was a girl. No older than thirteen, hiding in a hollowed tree.

The little girl was shaking as if freezing in a desert at night. She was crouched in a ball. Her knees brought to her face and her arms wrapped tightly around them. Her long purple hair hiding the rest of her features.

We all stared at each other in disbelief and uncertainty. _What is a girl doing in the middle of a blood bath?_

"Um, excuse me?" Naruto said. Hesitance in his voice.

The girl jolted resembling a match that struck under her. She yipped, "Who's there?! Please don't hurt me!"

Confused as to why she said _who,_ I realized that when she lifted her head, her eyes stared up in freight but they also had a cloudy film over them. _She can't see us._

"It's okay." Sakura reassured and crouched down. "We're shinobi from the Land of Fire. We are just here to help. Can you tell us what happened?"

At this point, I wanted to search more. There has to be more here than it leads on.

As the group listened to the shaken girl, who we soon learned was named Violet's, explanation. I walked through the cemetery of the fallen.

"I was being escorted, to the Land of the Rock." I heard Violet explain. "But there was an attack. I don't know what happened," she said on the verge of hysteria. "I could only hear the screams and clashes of blades," now sobbing.

Poor girl. I could only imagine what it was like hearing a battle without any knowledge of what was going on.

The team comforted her as I traveled deeper into the massacre. Dozens of shinobi were dead left and right. Many with various weapons embedded in their chest. One in particular caught my eye.

A middle aged man with ginger hair, thick bushy beard, and bulbous stomach laid against a tree. His cause of death was obvious. An arrow pierced through his neck; a clean shot in one end and out the other. However, that wasn't what caught my eye. It was the weapon the deceased was welding, a sword.

Intrigued, I crouched to get a better look. The weapon was unique as it seemed to be plated in gold. It was a _golden_ sword. Intricate carvings and details were engraved in the hilt in some sort of symbols. Jewels were encrusted around the symbols as well.

_Some fancy ass sword you got there buddy._

Rustling from behind me seized my attention. On instinct, I grabbed the closest weapon to me, the fancy sword and turned around. I was greeted with a_ clink_ sound coming from another sword clashing into mine.

* * *

**Team Seven and Quorra seem to have an interesting road ahead of them. Who could have caused such a scene?**

**First chapter to Quorra's first mission. What do you think so far? ****What's that golden sword all about? What do you think will happen next?**

**"Don't kill the golden goose." -Malcolm Mclaren  
**

**Reviews are love.**

**xo**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Colorful language. Taste the rainbow.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Peaceful Village**

I was greeted with a_ clink_ sound coming from another sword clashing into mine.

He was young. Possibly a year older, but his slim built featured his adolescence. Even young, he towered a good six inches over me. A mop of brown curly hair perched upon his head. Emerald green eyes borrowed into mine, trying to puncture a hole into my very soul.

Our swords clashed as we continued to spar.

"I'll kill you!" the boy screamed.

Team Seven ran towards the commotion. "Quorra!" Naruto yelled, still a distance away. "Are you alright? What's going on?"

I grunted in reply. _Who was this boy and why was he attacking me?_ I deflected another blow.

As the manic boy prepared to take another swing, an older man appeared. He looked mid-40 with salt and pepper hair that was combed neatly back. "Isiah, that's enough."

The boy, Isiah, hesitantly put down his sword and I did the same. "But James! She's the enemy!"

James shook his head. "No she's not, Isiah. Can't you see what she's wielding?"

We both looked puzzled at the sword in my hand.

"Shit," Isiah muttered.

I didn't see how the sword had anything to do with this. It wasn't even mine.

Team Seven finally met up with us. Violet was on Kakashi's back.

Naruto started a scene. "Hey, you," pointing to Isiah. "Who are you and why are you attacking my teammate!?"

_Teammate, huh?_

Naruto pulled out a kunai knife, ready to start a brawl, but Kakashi placed a firm grip on his shoulder.

"Easy, Naruto," Kakashi calmly said.

"Cool it, Naruto." Sasuke warned as he took out a weapon as well.

"Yeah! Cool it, Naruto!" Sakura chanted. "Listen to Sasuke."

"Now, Now," the older man, James, said. He placed a hand on Isiah's shoulder, holding his pupil back. "Please excuse my apprentice here. He mistaken you for the enemy."

James' eyes scanned across Team Seven and me, his expression unconvinced. "I'm terribly sorry. Please, as a form of an apology, come back to the village as our guests. We will supply you all with food and shelter for the night. It's the least we can do," he smiled sincerely.

I snorted. I didn't see the point in going. We're only a few hours away from the village. There was still an hour of daylight left. Plus, something about them gave me weird vibes. Why were they here, surrounded by all these fallen men?

As if all those factors flew over his head, "We would be happy to take you up on your offer, thank you." Kakashi smiled through his mask.

Flabbergasted._ We are what now?_

* * *

Our high-tensioned group walked towards the village. James explained how the ginger-bearded man goes by the name of Bartholomew. He used to be the leader of the village until he was corrupted by evil, became power hungry, and went on a rampage.

"It was terrible to witness that, to someone who was once a dear friend," James said in lament. "The shinobi killed were just passing-by when Bartholomew and his crew ambushed and attacked them."

"Was Bartholomew and his men shinobi as well?" Sakura asked.

Isiah made a face of disgust, but James smiled it off. "No, they were not but they did have skills that were passed down in the village for generations."

He then added, "Of course they were only meant to be used for defensive purposes."

It was nightfall by the time we reached the village. At the entrance, stood a beast of a man. Possibly reaching the height of seven feet, he looked like he had been in a few battles. Scars and tattoos lingered over his tan, muscular body. A white scar traveled from his left ear to chin. His hair was shaved close to the scalp on the sides while the top had some length. He stood defensively with his arms crossed; itching to snap a few necks and crack a few skulls.

"Caesar, these people just witnessed the effects of Bartholomew's wrath and greed. Isiah mistaken them as his accomplices and as our deepest apologies, I offered them a place to stay and rest for the night," James said.

Caesar looked pissed but whatever was bothering him, he didn't say. He simply replied with a grunt. I guess in caveman language that meant 'okay'.

The team and I walked pass him into the village. I couldn't help but glance back. Caesar gave a side-eyed glance towards us, wearing a huge smirk on his face. _What a fucking creep-a-zoid._

James guided us to the building where we would be staying. A young women greeted us.

"Aimi," James said. "Please take," he paused, hesitant. "It would seem that I haven't caught any of your names."

Our Jonin replied. "I'm Kakashi and these are my students." He pointed to us individually. "Here we have Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and…"

Before he could properly introduce me, I pinched his arm. For some reason, this whole situation didn't feel right to me. I did not trust this man, nor this village. James was acting sincere and genuine, but something was off. I preferred that the less this guy knew about me, the better. Kakashi must have understood my apprehension because he doesn't say anything.

"Hmmm, well," James cleared his throat. "Anyway, Aimi, show our guests to their room."

* * *

Soon after we settled in, Team Seven, myself, Violet, Isiah and James sat around the campfire and had dinner. Overall, it was a very silent and awkward meal. James and Isiah were on the log left of me, discussing something in hushed tones. Naruto, who was on the log right of me along with Sakura, babbled on about some non-sense to no one in particular. Sakura was concentrated on Sasuke, who sat next to me. He was staring menacingly at the fire.

Violet was sitting next to Kakashi, across from me. I wanted to talk to her, comfort her that she was safe with us. But, how could a mute and a blind communicate with each other? Tt was a terrible joke with a shitty ending.

Sakura was the first to engage in a proper conversation. "So James," she began.

He stopped talking to Isiah and gave her the proper attention. "Yes, Sakura?" I readjusted myself, uncomfortable that he called her by her name.

"I was just wondering. Why did you trust us so easily? I mean, we could have easily been the enemies. How did you know we weren't?" Sakura asked.

As if Naruto was wondering this the entire time, "Yeah! Why?"

James' expression softened as he smiled nonchalantly. "Well, you see, I _didn't_ know if you were the enemy. But I knew I could trust you because of what the young lady here," his head nodded, gesturing towards me. "What she was wielding."

Confused looks surrounded the campfire. I couldn't help but feel intrigued as well.

James explained. "The sword can only be held by non-shinobi. It burns anyone with a chakra level that is higher than a civilian's. Because of that, I knew she wasn't a shinobi."

My cheeks flushed as I felt everyone's eyes watch me. I forced my eyes down at my feet. So, I was not a shinobi after all. All this talk about how I was one and should be training. It was all a lie. I shouldn't be here, with a team. Only civilians can wield the sword, and I could wield it. This was as much proof as I can get, right?

I shifted uncomfortably on the log and played with my hands idly, locking each finger to the other. My only grip on reality right now.

But, how could I make a shadow clone then? Was it just a fluke? Just a magic trick that I could show to friends and family as a fun dinner conversation?

I squeezed my hands tighter. _Dammit, just who exactly am I? _

"And whoever she is allies with, is allies to us," James concluded. "Excuse us if that sounds insulting to you, but many issues in the past have been caused by shinobi."

As we ate dinner, James explained the purpose of the village was to be very peaceful and to only present purity to the world. This ranged from morals to ceremonies that allowed proper cleansing to peace offerings to a higher entity.

I looked around the village as he was explaining this to us. His words sounded convincing, like he had passionately worked for this goal and was proud to establish the platform he was currently on. But what he was saying doesn't show true, to me. Sure, there were child playing at various campfires and gentlemen laughing over joke, but there were also the sketchy people. Many of the women, looked wary, skittish almost, afraid that something might happen.

Rambunctious, Naruto broke my train of thought. "So Violet," he began. "I was just wondering. Why _were _you being escorted anyway?"

"Oh, right," she eagerly readjusted herself on the log. "I was being escorted to the Land of the Earth. You see, I have the ability to read people."

Without realizing she had everyone's attention, "I read people. It could be something from the past or future. Anything from a happy childhood memory to something as terrible as a death. Sometimes it is just an aura, a feeling I get by just touching the person."

"So you were to read someone then?" Sakura concluded.

Violet nodded in agreement. "I was to read the Tsuchikage. Apparently, he is a very superstitious man and feared that his people wanted to overthrow him."

Violet's ability stroked an interest in Naruto and Sakura as they both asked if they could be read. Violet was happy to comply.

Violet first grabbed Naruto's hand. "You feel you have a lot of determination and strength, but people tend to not see your true potential." She smiled. "You will do something remarkable one day."

Naruto gave a goofy grin. "See, Sakura, she said I'm going to do something remarkable."

He pointed to Sasuke, "You hear that Sasuke?! Remarkable! Believe it!"

Sasuke smirked, unaffected. I couldn't help but smile. _He's an odd one, but he has a lot of heart._

"Yeah, whatever Naruto," Sakura snapped. She gave Violet her hand. "What about me?"

"You will one day experience a physical change that will begin a chain reaction. Your views on the world will be different from there out," Violet said.

Sakura scrunched her nose, not satisfied by her reading.

_I bet she was hoping her reading would be based on a certain love interest._

"That's a nice reading, Sakura," Naruto assured.

"Shut up, Naruto!" she said has she huffed back to her seat.

Sasuke, unaware he even wanted to be read, silently walked up to Violet and grabbed her hand.

Violet's mouth twisted. "You will get what you desire most one day."

Sasuke smirked and returned to his seat. Sakura stared at Sasuke with glee, hoping that deepest desire had something to do with her.

"Kakashi-sensei, why don't you get a reading?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi smiled and waved him off. "No, no. That's quite alright. If there is anything important that happens in the future, I want to experience it on my own. And, there's nothing I particularly want to relive from my past."

Naruto made a face, but didn't push it. "What about you, Quorra? Give it a try!"

I shook my head, turning him down as well. As intriguing as it would be to have my mysterious past be possibility read to me, in all honesty, I was afraid that she wouldn't get any reading. Blank, like my mind. I don't want to be judged more. They already know I'm not a shinobi, thanks to that fancy-ass sword. I felt vulnerable enough and didn't want any chances of making it worse. Maybe I'll consult her if we had a moment alone.

We returned to the rooms Aimi showed us. We each got separate rooms along the same hallway. Sakura suggested that we paired up, just in case, but that was soon vetoed when Naruto volunteered to be paired up with her. That girl will never learn.

I went into my room, washed up, and laid in bed, thinking about today's series of events. About leaving the village for the first time since awakening, the brutal aftermath of a battle, the sword that crushed my spirits, this village, James, Isiah, Caesar, everyone. Finally, I dosed off even when my mind wasn't settled.

* * *

I jolted upright. My breaths were heavy and I was covered in sweat.

_Not again. Not another nightmare. Shit. These nightmares are really getting the better of me._

From the window, it was still the middle of the night. I'd only gotten a few hours of sleep. Calming myself down was a common ritual now.

I just needed some fresh air.

I got up and walked to the back door which slid open to the deck. The fresh cool breeze felt good on my sweaty skin.

My nightmares were more or less the same, but in different versions. It was mainly me trapped somewhere and someone or something with green pupil-less eyes yelling to run. I always told myself that it was just a dream, but the brevity of it. It felt like I was there, in that dark place, slowly dying. Helpless.

The deck led to freshly cut grass. Various flowered plants and shrubs were along the perimeter. A small pond in the middle.

By the pond, I saw a figure standing with their back towards me. Even though dark, there was enough moonlight to tell who it was. The back of his shirt had a family crest, the Uchiha family crest.

I left the deck and joined Sasuke at the pond. He seemed to be disconnected as he stared off in the distance. Something was on his mind. I stood next to him and stared off as well.

Several moments passed in silence.

"I don't like this place," Sasuke finally said. "Something doesn't seem right."

The people here, from first glance, were fine. But, the more I observed, the more I noticed it was not. The women were eyeing everyone, acting like they had to walk on eggshells.

The men were drunk and looked perverted, Caesar being the biggest one. James demeanor had him seemingly gentle-souled and passionate about this village. He declared we were allies, but all he did was make my skin crawl.

I nodded. He felt the same way I did. We were both not buying into this peaceful and pure lifestyle crap.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this," he declared.

_No_, I thought, we're going to. Something wrong with this village and we were going to find out what exactly it was.

Sasuke smirked at me, he seemed to always know what I'm trying to convey. He knew he could count me in.

A twig snapped behind us and we swiveled.

"Well, well, well," a voice said. "Look what we have here."

Sasuke pulled out a kunai knife. "Show yourself!"

In the moonlight stood the same lanky boy I fought hours before. It was Isiah.

"Hello, again," Isiah smiled cynically. "Having a late night stroll, I see?"

Twenty or so men surrounded us, each of them carrying various weapons, from swords to pickaxes. Someone was even wielding a garden hoe.

"I don't presume that if I asked nicely, you would both come with me?" Isiah questioned.

Sasuke snorted. I went for the more physical approach as I flipped him the bird.

Isiah chuckled. "I figured so. It didn't hurt to try." He looked manic. The boy who I fought before was not the same boy I saw now.

"Get them," Isiah commanded.

Men approached us as Sasuke and I got back-to-back in our fighting stance. Sasuke threw his kunai at the first guy.

The man who was wielding the garden hoe attacked me first. I, without a weapon, landed a solid punch to his nose. He yelped as he covered his face, dropping his weapon. Quickly, I grabbed the gardening tool, ready to fight.

Many of them were defeated by Sasuke's fire jutsu or with my mighty hoe. I swung that old women's gardening tool with the painted flowers on it like no one else's business.

We worked well together and didn't need to communicate anything. I had his back and he had mine. We trained together, but we were no match against this many people.

Prepared to battle the next horde, I heard Sasuke yip. I turned to see a needle in his neck. Purple fluid seeping out of the injection site. Poison dart.

"Shit," Sasuke winced and crumbled to the ground.

I ran towards him as someone threw a smoke bomb. Heavy, dark mist surrounded us. The enemies still pursued us, kicking him while he's down.

Anger rose within me. Sasuke was defenseless. How dare they hit someone who was already down! I fought my way towards him, giving each guy I encountered a piece of my mind. I was feet away when a metal object connected with the back of my head.

The back of my skull pulsated, but I still crawled forward. A heavy foot stomped my back, pinning me to the ground. My vision blurred and quickly leads to tunnel vision.

Desperate, I reached for Sasuke, tasting bile. Just before I blacked out, there was a terrible scream. Rough and in pain. Sounded unnatural, nonhuman. It was wild, wounded. An animal's.

It was my scream for Sasuke before I rendered unconscious.

* * *

**Yeah, peaceful village. Quorra and Sasuke knew something was fishy. What's going to happen to them? What's the story behind this village? And most importantly, how will Quorra use her newly acquired mouthpiece to get out of this dire situation?**

**"Yeah, as long as we know we're trapped, we still have a chance to escape." -Sara Grant  
**

**Reviews are love.**

**xo**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Argh Matey! There's cursin' on this ship.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Prisoners**

It was pain to my head that finally woke me. It gnawed with a heated fury as the ice concrete cooled my cheek. The mixture was soothing, yet unpleasant. Slowly, I sat up, caressing my head as I tried to wake from this deep haze.

_Where am I?_

Vertical bars welcomed me. Everywhere I turned, the metal obstructed my vision. I was trapped in a cell. Violet laid unconscious next to me.

My hands rubbed my throbbing temples. _That's right. Sasuke and I were ambushed._ My headache worsened as anger bubbled in the pit of my stomach, causing me to groan.

Others were imprisoned in several other cells. Men of all ages looked tattered and worn down. Many coughing from the unsanitary conditions they were living in. But, Sasuke and Team Seven were not here.

_What did they do Sasuke? Where are the others?_

At that moment, James walked into the room. "Ah, great, you're finally awake. Welcome back," he said with a warm smile.

Growling, I grabbed the cell's bar. "What did you do to Sasuke and the others?" My voice sounded hoarse, from not using my vocal chords for an extended period of time.

"Now, now," he said calmly. "Don't worry about your friends. They are doing just fine... for now."

I released the bars, not at all satisfied with his answer. "Hmph. Why are we here? What do you want from us?"

"I don't want anything from you but to listen."

I scrunched my face in annoyance, but said nothing.

He walked closer. "What's your name?"

I was caught off guard. "What-t?"

"Your name. If you give me your name, that will help me convince the others."

Puzzled, "What do you mean convince the others? Convince them of what?"

"Well," he paused. A smile reached his lips, happiness reached his voice. "Convince them of letting you and her," nodding towards Violet, "allowing you two to stay, to join us."

Absurd by it all, I laughed in his face with disgust. "I'm not going to tell you shit."

"I see." he looked almost hurt. As if he was an adolescent boy being denied to a dance. Not, in fact, a mid-aged man imprisoning two girls. "I wish you could see how perfect you two would be here. This place could be your new home."

"And why would I ever want to do that?" raising a brow.

"Because this place can become your home. You would both have a place with food, water, and shelter. You can help procreate and raise warriors that will contribute to our cause."

Sickened, bile rose in my throat. "Homes, shelter, procreate?! Are you out of your mind?! I rather be dead than help your psycho group!" I spat like venom.

Persistent, as he approached the bars. His hand weaved through the bars to cup my battered face.

With a sincere, patient, pathetic voice, "I wish you could just understand where I am coming from." He rubbed his filthy thumb over my lips. "You two are... special."

His eyes shined with clarity, with brown certainty. Meanwhile, my eyes widened. This man was psychotic. He believed in the words bull shitting out of his fowl mouth. He thought I was going to live here joyfully, making weapon babies! Who knew what else this twisted man planned to do with us. I needed to get out of here. I needed to go save the others!

Desperately thinking up a decent plan, the keys glistened on his belt, catching my eyes. I smiled, hoping he read it as I was agreeing with him. He does as he returned the smile, joyfully.

I placed my hand over his, the one that was still caressing my cheek, and rubbed it.

_That's it you bastard._ I smiled maniacally.

Suddenly, I grabbed his hand and twisted it at an unnatural angle. A loud, painful snap rung in my ears. He shouted in pain and shock as I pulled back as hard as I could, slamming him multiple times into the bars. Leaving him hurt and disoriented, I snaked my arm through the bars for the keys.

He; however, quickly composed himself. With his good hand, grabbed the back of my head and slammed it into the bars, leaving me seeing stars. I crumbled to the ground, holding my forehead. Hot fluid cascaded down my face from a bloody nose.

"You fucking bitch!" he cursed, holding his mangled hand. "What am I going to tell the rest now?"

I wiped the blood from my nose. Painfully chuckling, "Quorra."

He looked at me puzzled, "What?"

"Quorra," I repeated. I let the waves of anger and adrenaline control my voice. "You tell them is the name of the little girl who broken your fucking finger!"

James looked shocked, only for a moment, before laughing. "Quorra, huh?"

He began to walk away. "What did you say before? That you rather be dead than join us? Be careful what you wish for," he said disappearing behind doors.

Immediately, I searched for any possible way to escape. I needed to get out of here. The others could be in danger, or worse. No, I shook my head at the possibly.

"You're not going to get out of here that easily," grumbled a grey-haired man. "You girls are stuck here."

The man was middle-aged with a receding hairline. Deep lines dung into his face, making him look even older. The snarl he wore wasn't helping him either.

"Why are you guys here? What is going on?" I asked, applying pressure to my nose.

The old man answered, annoyed, "We are here because we resisted. It was that fat bastard's fault that we are stuck in this dungeon and there's no way of getting out."

Grabbing bars, I rattled them in hopes that one was loose enough to pry open. None so far were budging. _Shit._

"I told you, stupid girl, you are not getting out of here," he repeated.

"Yukinaga, don't be so harsh," stated another man in a separate cell. This one was younger but the cell life had been cruel to him. His black eyes shined sympathetically.

"I can say whatever I want, Kenshin!" he snapped. "If I want to say that she is a stupid girl, then she is a stupid girl!"

Frustration gets the best of me as I start to kick the bars.

_I_. Kick. _Need_. Kick. _To get_. Kick. _Out of_. Kick. _Here!_ Kick kick kick.

"Don't worry about him," Kenshin apologized. "He is just a bitter man."

"I am not!" Yukinaga yelled. "I am just saying she is a stupid g-"

"Shut the fuck up!" I screamed, aggravated. "I have more important things to worry about than your rambling, old man!"

Yukinaga snorted, but didn't reply.

Finally, when hope was almost lost, a bar gave a creak. One of the bars were rusted where the bar met the floor. I planted both feet firmly on the bar and grabbed the two supporting bars next to it, so that I was horizontal to the floor. With all my weight, I pulled with my arms and pushed with my feet.

"Come on, you son of a bitch!"

Creaks became louder until finally there was a pop and the bar disconnected from the floor. My weight continued to push it so that the bar was bent far enough to slip through.

There was no time to celebrate. It was time to get out of here. Violet, however, was still unconscious, motionless.

I placed a soft grip on her shoulders and shook her. "Hey, Violet. Are you okay? We need to get out of here."

Within seconds, the once unconscious girl jolted awake. Her expression, electrocuted. Eyes widened, body shaken. "What-t?" she said, confused and horrified.

_Right, she never heard my voice before. Of course she was scared._

"It's me, Quorra. We're trapped in a jail cell but I found a way out. We need to get out of here."

She nodded, hesitant. Her body still shook, like she was afraid of something.

I guided Violet through the new opening and headed towards the metal door that James exited. Kenshin and the other men roared like caged animals, begging to be freed.

I didn't have time to help. "I'll come back and free you all. I promise." I said as Violet and I exited.

"Get use to staying here, boys. That stupid girl is as good as dead." I heard Yukinaga say as the doors closed behind us.

We entered an eerie hallway. The walls were stone with a labyrinth of hallways only to be lit by torches mounted on the wall. We crept through the halls. Sticking to the walls, crouching, hiding in the shadows. I didn't know where they could be. This place was like a maze. They could be anywhere.

Sneaking through the hallways, passing various doors and jail cells, voices echoed. They were too far away to hear what they are saying but we stealthily followed the sound.

There were large double doors that seemed to be the source of the radiating sound. The doors were different than the others as they were larger, more intricate with their details. Heavy engravings of symbols covered the large doors. A guard blocked the entrance, preventing us from investigating inside. But, my best guess was that Team Seven was somewhere behind those doors.

_Damn. _I needed to get pass the guard.

Violet was silently behind me, gripping my hand. Clueless to the world around her, visually at least.

"I think I might know where they are," I whispered to her. "But, there is a guard blocking the door. I'm going to try and take him out."

She nodded and let go of my hand. Her only support, the tether severed. She wrapped her arms around her knees, staying hidden in the shadows.

Observing the guard, he was young, muscular. Probably in his early twenties. At least a head's height taller than me and had seventy pounds on me. He had a sword but it was put away. After minutes of observing, I noticed a natural regiment with him. He tended to walk towards the fork in the hallway, where I was hiding, looked down both halls and turned back to his post.

I needed to get him when he wasn't looking. Without any weapons, I quietly took my jacket off and clutched it in the crook of my arm. I stayed sheltered alongside the wall, hugging darkness, as the guard began his routine again. The guard stood at the intersection, only feet from me. He didn't see me when he stared down my hall. Satisfied, he turned his back and walked back towards his post.

Cautious, I snuck behind him and before he was able to turn back around, pounced. My jacket wrapped around his throat and used my weight and gravity to pull. My knees dug into his spine, using my weight as an advantage. The guard jumped, startled. He desperately, scratched and clawed at his neck, instinctively, to pry the jacket off.

He fumbled for his sword, trying to get a proper grip. Once, he unsteadily removed the sword, I kicked it out of his hand and it chattered to the ground, across the hall.

"Curse, you." He choked out the words. Still standing, he used his body to propel his back, and myself, into the wall. Several times, my lower spine crushed into the stone wall, but I persisted.

His final shaky breathes left him as he sunk to the ground. My body wedged between him and the wall. I used my feet to push him off me, stood, and dust myself off. He wasn't dead, just unconscious.

Violet was where I left her and, together, we walked through the double doors. She didn't question what she heard, the sound of struggle. And I didn't say anything.

Inside, stone, pillars, and levels of stairs greeted us. We were on the top level to what seemed like an amphitheater. Several stairs carved into stone, surrounding the semicircular perimeter. The top floor, we were standing on, had a railing that camouflaged us.

Peering over the railing, no one seemed to be around. The single guard was watching an empty room? In the center of the amphitheater; however, had figures hanging on the wall. Three figures to be exact. _No..._

Quickly, I hid Violet between two of the pillars and told her to not move until I returned. Clandestinely, I ran down the countless flights and reached the center.

As I feared, the three figures were Team Seven. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were all unconscious, bounded by their hands and feet. Kakashi was nowhere to be found.

_I hope he is alright. Maybe he escaped._

The scene made my heart pound. Seeing anyone you care about put in that situation.

I walked up to Sasuke. His wrists and ankles were bruised, bloody as were everyone else's. The struggle was visible.

You felt like it was your fault that the ones dearest to you suffered. Because you weren't good enough, weren't strong enough to defend them, to protect them. Feeling mine vibrating through my body, I checked his pulse. I sighed, relieved.

It was at this moment, I decided that I would never let this happen to someone dear to me. Enough with the self-pity. I didn't care if a rink-dink sword sealed my fate, telling me I was not a shinobi, not a warrior. I didn't need to be those things, I finally realized. I didn't need a label because of the feeling erupting from my chest. All I needed to be was a _fighter_. And I will fight to my death if that meant saving the people I cared about.

I grabbed Sasuke's bruised and swollen face. "I will save you guys."

On the table was a conveniently placed hand saw and I tried to cut the first shackle that bound Sasuke's hand.

A familiar chuckle echoed behind me. "What do we have here?"

I reluctantly turned to be greeted by the slimy James. Standing alongside him were Caesar and Isiah, who was clutching a frightened Violet in his lanky grips.

A bandage was wrapped around James' broken hand. I couldn't help but smirk.

"I knew you would be a troublemaker."

Little did he know how much trouble I could be.

* * *

**Imprisoned**** to be a baby-maker for a village of crazies? No thanks. Quorra managed to escape with Violet and find Team Seven. She realized she doesn't need to be a shinobi ****but how could she save everyone? How much trouble could Quorra be?**

**"As we advance in life it becomes more and more difficult, but in fighting the difficulties the inmost strength of the heart is developed" -Vincent Van Gogh**

**Reviews are love.**

**xo**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Cussin', cursing, no-no words; your pick

*this chapter is rated M*

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: I am a Fighter**

James, along with Caesar and Isiah, clutching a frightened Violet, welcomed me. Well, unwelcomed me.

"Let them go," I demanded.

A deep laughter erupted from Caesar, like the suggestion was absurd. Isiah smiled.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Quorra," James said, in a mocking tone. "We need them."

I couldn't stand him. Couldn't stand what he was doing. Couldn't stand how he said my name, using it like a weapon. As if my name was the keyword for hypnosis. Couldn't stand how he was abusing these people. The people in the village and the ones I held dear! "But these are innocent people!"

James' patient demeanor vanished quickly. "_We _are innocent people! _These _are not!" Referring to Team Seven. He spat the words out, like they would poison him if he didn't. "They are far from innocent!"

"How do you know? You don't even know them!" I fought back. "What gives you the right to judge them?"

"Because unlike you, bitch, they are shinobi," Isiah snapped.

James placed a hand on Isiah's shoulder, calming his precious pupil. "As Isiah puts it, they are shinobi. Meaning they must remain here."

I didn't understand. How did having a shinobi status possibly convey to being captured? Afraid of knowing the answer, I asked, "What do you plan on doing with them?"

James grinned, delighted I finally asked the winning question. "My dear Quorra, don't you see? They are for the ritual."

The air felt heavy around me. "Ritual? Ritual for what?"

His excitement oozed out of him, desperate to share the secret. "For the sacrifice, of course."

The shock was so intense, I couldn't hide it. "You mean you're going to _kill _them?"

James nodded, satisfied I finally saw the big picture. "Yes, for the greater good."

"That's bullshit! You can't do this. They didn't do anything wrong!"

"They may not have done anything wrong, _yet, _but they will. It is in their genetic code. They are mutations, abominations that should never have existed. They are vile creatures with too much power and need to be eliminated. They all need to be eliminated!" He spoke with such ferocity, his neatly combed back hair became messy. Strands escaping their poised position.

To exterminate a race was a feat in itself. But to hurt thousands of people, skilled people, who trained for years to defend themselves and their land was mind-boggling. If he planned to succeed in this genocide, then he had another thing coming.

I shook my head. "There's no way you can kill that many people. Not when they are born fighters."

"Ah, but there is a way, naïve girl." James said, walking over to a statue on the other side of the amphitheater.

The massive stone structure had the same intricate symbols as the front doors Violet and I entered. Stone slab covered the front of it, with a ledge, seeming to be a fountain.

The center of the statue had a creature that looked to be part man, part bull. The human part was the upper body; beast was the lower. Angry spiraling horns protruded from the man's head. The creature held a jug with a beast's head on it. Its mouth was open, showing large canines.

James walked up to the figure, bowed and touched the beast jar. "This, is Rakil. God of war, God of balance, God of justice. He believes that justice needs to be served. Shinobi think they are all mighty, better than everyone else, stronger. They think they can control whatever they can lay their hands on. Rakil sees this unbalance and has come to us to put a stop to it. He has blessed us with this power to ensure the end of shinobi kind.

"Remember the sword you wielded when you fought Isiah?" He unsheathed the very sword from his hilt. The gold reflected even in the dim dungeon light. "This beauty has the power to kill a shinobi with a single blow."

I gave a puzzled look. _How? Was it enchanted?_

"It would be better if I showed you," he explained.

On cue, Caesar rattled Sasuke's chains, releasing him. He ungracefully threw Sasuke on the stone slab table.

"Now I won't kill him, to show you the demonstration," James reassured. "I'll save that for later."

James took the gifted sword and gently sliced Sasuke's wrist, leaving barely a paper cut. The wound immediately reacted with Sasuke. As if someone injected him with the wrong type of blood, the wound hissed. Blood bubbled out of his skin. The small wound, within seconds, looked grotesque, raw. Sasuke winced in pain through his unconsciousness.

Shocked, "What did you do to him?!"

James wiped the sword clean with the end of his shirt. "I am only doing what our Lord and Savior desires. _Justice_."

He took the cleaned blade to his own wrist. The flesh cut showed none of the visible symptoms Sasuke endured. "I am not an abomination. I am human. I am pure. High chakra levels do not taint my veins, tarnish my soul. That's why this blade cuts me just like any other sword would."

The newly found knowledge whirled in my head. Rendered me speechless. Only shinobi and people with high chakra levels were effected.

James covered his wound. Blood oozed between his fingers. "Want to know what the best part is? To enchant this sword, the power to slay a shinobi, a shinobi sacrifice is needed. That's right. The blood that it cuts is the blood that fuels this masterpiece." He had a crazed look in his eyes. Bloodthirsty to annihilate innocent people. This village had gone mad. I had to stop them.

"So don't you see? As long as our God provides us with these weapons, we can't be stopped! Shinobi can't even touch these weapons without being burned. We will be triumphant. We will have justice! That ginger bastard should have known he couldn't defeat us!"

_Ginger bastard? What does he mean?_ Suddenly it all clicked into place. The gingered bastard, Bartholomew, the prisoners. _Why didn't I see this before?!_

Bartholomew wasn't trying to overrun the village because of greed. He was trying to stop James. He was aiding the slaughtered shinobi. Helping them leave the village before James could cohort and use his kind demeanor to lure them in. But James got the shinobi anyway. Used their blood and sacrificed them for more weapons.

The prisoners aided Bartholomew until they got captured. They were the resistance. _How could I have been so blind?!_

James saw in my eyes the gears working together. "Yes, Bartholomew was trying to stop this beautiful mission. What a stupid, foolish man. To think he would defeat us, defeat destiny, defeat Rakil!"

I couldn't take it anymore. This was all too much for me. It was so fucked up. I could barely keep my composure together. My fists were balled up against my sides. Pinned there to prevent them from lashing out.

"You monster," I said through clenched teeth. My nails dug into my fleshy palms.

James cocked his head, not understanding. "I'm a what?" His ignorance pushed me over the edge. No amount of bondage could have held me back from wanting to crush his pig-minded skull.

"You. Are. A. Monster! How dare you decide who should live or die!? These people are the innocent ones. You're the one who isn't pure. You're the abomination for wanting to destroy anyone's life who doesn't meet your standards!" My pulse was through the roof. I was surprised my pounding heart could keep up. Bells rung in my ears.

James looked like he was trying to compose himself as well. Veins from his forehead and arms protruded. Rivers of anger and hatred pumping through him. But, just as quickly as it came, it left. The only thing remaining was his devilish grin.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, my dear. It's a shame really. You could have done well here. Could have rebuilt your whole life. You could have been happy. _I_ could have made you happy. But I see these savages have corrupted you and with much dismay, I have to bid you farewell."

He smiled from ear to ear. "I say farewell to _all _of you."

At that moment, he signaled to Caesar to start the ritual. Caesar happily approached the wall where another "blessed" weapon hung. It resembled a double bladed axe, encased in gold. The handle stretched long lengths, making it suitable to Caesar's massive profile. Gems of various shapes and sizes encrusted it.

Sasuke was bonded by leather straps at all limbs. His head lolled on a groove in the stone slab. The groove snaked down the side of the table into a moat that encircled half of the table. It then traveled along the ground toward the Greek statue.

I realized then the blood was to flow out of the jar demon's mouth. Sasuke's blood would be cascading out of the mouth like a scarlet waterfall. All for another weapon to be made. Another step closer towards hurting other shinobi. I wasn't about to let that happen. Even of my life depended on it.

Caesar rose the monster axe into the air at the moment I charged at him.

Figured, a small girl, with no weapons, charge towards a person who obviously had a mutant gene in his DNA. A plan would had helped. Any means to get an advantage, even a small one. But, no, I ran with my only weapon being my small fists and my big mouth. But, that didn't discourage me from wanting to kick his ass!

Caesar swung his axe the moment I jumped onto the stone table and threw myself at him. It wasn't much, but the momentum caused him to stumble backwards.

I stood on the table with my arms spread out. My emotions were an invisible force field, strong and potent. Passion, anger and determination fueled my stupidity. Stupidity to stand up against an armed man three times my size. But, these things fueled something even more important, my courage.

"Don't you dare touch him!" I yelled, confident like a dictator's. "You have to go through me first!"

Caesar laughed as if he was a bully and the child he picked on was trying to stand up for themselves. To him it sounded so absurd, so ridiculous, belly laughs formed.

"With pleasure," he said as he rose his axe a second time.

I stood my ground as Caesar approached. From his smile to his dark, stone eyes, the joy radiated off him. His desire to crush me with his colossal fists made my skin crawl. I stood my ground none-the-less. I meant it when I said he would have to get through me first. I will protect Sasuke and the others.

Caesar and his mighty axe were inches from me when James interrupted him. "Not here, Caesar. I don't want her blood tainting the ritual. Do what you want with her elsewhere." His tone regarded me as a nuisance, a puny pest. An insignificant, a no body.

With zero reply, Caesar grunted, grabbed my wrist and ripped me off the table before I had a chance to protest.

Kicks and screams filled my lungs as he slid my body across the cold concrete. My feet planted into the ground but the smooth surface prevented any friction. Colorful profanity escaped my lips as Isiah hovered over Sasuke, ready to continue the ritual.

Mocked pity spread over James' features. Eyes pinched, nose scrunched, like the garbage needed to be disposed.

The giant dragged me across the amphitheater to what seemed to be a small storage room. My wrist stung as he dragged me, like they were ripped out of their sockets. Caesar threw me down and slammed the door. No point in trying to escape, his statue blocked the door and then some. Alone with the monster. In the dark with only the moon shining through a small window.

Quickly scanning the room, there wasn't much laying around. A table, few chairs, a broom and a shelf with some kick-knacks such as cloth and herbs for the ritual, I assumed.

_Fuck._

I needed a weapon. Instinctively, I distanced myself from him and grabbed the broom stick and snapped the head off it with my foot. I held it in front of me, trying to control my nerves as the broom handle shook.

Caesar found my attempt funny as he let out a low chuckle. "That won't help you here, mouse."

He leaned his weapon along the wall adjacent to the doorway. "I won't be needing that."

The knot in my stomach loosened. The realization of this situation suddenly became clear to me. He called me mouse which meant he saw me as small and helpless. He thought he could dispose of me easily. The silence between us became a Zen. It disinfected all emotion from before. Any fear I had before vanished. I knew what I needed to do.

"Don't call me mouse," I snarled, tightening the grip on my makeshift weapon.

Caesar walked closer. "No? Then what should I-."

I didn't let him finish his sentence as I swung the broom stick toward his temples.

Shocked, he stumbled back. "You fucking bitch."

I was about to take another swing when I heard a chuckle rise from him. "You're a feisty one, aren't you, mouse?"

Thrown off guard, I quickly rose my weapon again but it was too late. He charged towards me. The mountainous creature, within second, had me pinned against the wall. The momentum knocked the broom out of my hand.

Caesar loomed over me. His muscular body twitched with adrenaline. Muscles bulged showing off their greatness. His face inched closer to mine. His black eyes so dark that the pupils were barely recognizable. Dark as obsidian.

The scar that ran down his face, up close, looked like it didn't heal right. Like he didn't receive stitches and, as a result, a deep groove formed. Skin desperately stretched across the wound in attempt to repair itself. Each shallow breath from the ogre moved my bangs slightly. His breath smelled like rotten flesh and his teeth looked like hell.

His grimacing face inched forward. "You're right. You're not a mouse."

I didn't dare say anything or move. He continued, "No, mice don't have your eyes. Your eyes glow, like a cat's."

He stared my body up and down. "You're a feline. You're nothing more than a kitten." He purred as if a cat himself.

My body turned to ice. I pressed my body closer toward the wall. Wishing to sink away.

He leaned his head towards the nape of my neck. At first, I thought he was going to bite me, but instead took a deep breath.

"Ah, yes. You smell like cherry blossoms," he mumbled into my neck and moaned.

Realizing what his intentions were, my stomach was in my throat. I was going to be sick.

Before I could do anything, I felt a tongue, his tongue, force its way into my mouth. His tongue was large and foul as it explored mine.

I tried to stop it and pushed away, but he was too strong. Caesar had one hand under my tattered shirt, the other on my shoulder. His thumb dug into my collar bone.

I rooted deep inside my soul for my shinobi skills. Tried to find the power and strength that was hidden to conjure up a shadow clone. To do anything, reveal any power. Anything, to save myself from this monster. But, my brain was too fuzzy. I felt so disoriented, so disconnected from my mind and body. I was frozen. His massive hand that covered most of my abdomen crept upwards.

I felt panic but also something else, rage. Rage for ever believing I was something more than an ordinary girl. Rage for thinking I could be a shinobi, ever. For Kakashi as his dull expressions staring at me with certainty that I was something more. So much for that. Look where that has gotten me.

Some other emotion crept up towards the surface, begging to be recognized. The trademark emotion for cocky people who got stuck in unfortunate situations. Pride.

But for me, this fueled me. I was okay with the girl I was; ordinary, shinobi, whatever. Just because I was not a shinobi didn't mean I didn't know how to defend myself. Every day I trained with Kakashi and Team Seven. Sure, it was brutal but every moment sparring with Sasuke, practicing chakra control with Sakura, and having celebratory ramen with Naruto made me stronger than the day before.

I wanted to be engulfed in rage, let the anger run its course. But, that wouldn't save me. My pride will. Like I told myself before, I was a _fighter!_

I bite fiercely down on Caesar's tongue, tasting blood. He jerked away from shock and pain but not fast enough for me to knee him in the genitals.

A deep howl escaped his throat as I wedged myself from the wall and dashed to the door. My fingers graced the handle when Caesar grabbed my ankle and yanked me backwards. The sudden movement slammed my ribs onto the ground, knocking the breath out of me.

I kicked blindly with my free leg, connecting his chin and rocketed towards the door a second time and managed to swing it open, wildly.

My foot reached outside the door when what felt like a massive bear trap grabbed the back of my skull. Caesar took my head with one hand and slammed the door on my temples. Small white lights sparkled in front of me as my body sunk to the ground.

My vision remained patchy, in a way that mimicked a black veil over my eyes. My head pulsated as the room spun rapidly.

A heavy mass hovered over my flimsy body. A monster's breath fogged me, hands grabbed me at various places. I wanted it to stop, but couldn't differentiate between up and down. Laughter surrounded me, but couldn't pin-point its source. I swatted aimlessly until both my arms were pinned over my head. Sweaty claws crept up my leg, begging to explore my skin. My mouth opened but no screams escaped. My voice was mute once again.

My faith was sealed when blue light flashed in my vision. I thought they were the stars again until I realized they weren't stars… it was lightening.

* * *

**We finally solve the pieces of the puzzle. Quorra is determined to make a difference and save the shinobi race. But how will she do that? Caesar has her pinned down. Will she escape? _Can _she escape? And what about those stars? What do you think they are?**

**"Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of." - Bethany Hamilton**

**Reviews are love.**

**xo**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Ho Ho Ho, Merry C-cursing.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen****: Rakil Wanted Justice, But So Did I**

I remembered one time when we trained on a particularly cloudy day. It started out gray, ominous. As the day progressed, the clouds became a darker and darker shade of grey, taking the sunlight with it.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto whined. "Why are we out here!"

Sakura added, "Yeah, Sensei. We should call it a quits! A storm is coming."

Sasuke nodded in agreement.

Kakashi sighed. "Alright, alright. Let's call it a day."

"Wahoo!" Naruto yelled, jumping with a fist to the air. "Time for ramen! Come on everyone, let's go." He grabbed my wrist and dragged me, "Come on, Quorra."

Just like any other day with the Knucklehead, he pulled me along with, I swore, the fullest intent of ripping my arm out of its socket. And just like any other day, I gladly let him.

* * *

Team Seven and I arrived at Ichiraku Ramen. We ate our usual and chatted loudly among each other as well as with Teuchi and Ayame. Rumbles echoed in the distance, coming closer with each roar, but rain had yet to fall.

After we finished, Naruto and Sakura used their manipulating charm to convince Kakashi to kindly pay for everyone. We then said our goodbyes as the sky crashed and opened up in a downpour.

We quickly took our separate ways. Sakura and Naruto towards one direction, both bickering as they scurried away. Sasuke in another, running as well, avoiding the torrential monsoon. Kakashi and I left together, since we were neighbors.

Kakashi didn't mind the rain, so he walked casually. I didn't push him on the issue as I strolled besides him.

Ever since awaking under that damn tree, storms and I have had a love/hate relationship. If I closed my eyes, sometimes I thought I was back in those woods until reminding myself that that wasn't the case. It was all in the past. I didn't panic at this moment because Kakashi was beside me. There was always a wave of calmness radiating off him.

The cascade of water caused Kakashi's hair to fall in front of his face, covering his concealed face even more. Water dripped from his ends, but like always, he looked unfazed. I used my jacket as an umbrella, sheltering my face and hair.

Lightening cracked in the distance, causing me to jump. Even with Kakashi here, lightening made me skittish. Instinctively, I hooked my arm with Kakashi's, half-abandoning my umbrella jacket.

Lightening continued to strike in the distance. A scary force lightening was. How could something like that exist? Nature shouldn't have that much power. Lightening can destroy families and homes faster than a blink of an eye. Lightening was truly...

"Beautiful." Kakashi broke my trance.

I looked at him questioningly, wanting him to go on.

"It's beautiful," he repeated. "Yes they are destructible, uncontrollable forces of nature."

He stared up at the crying sky, rain dripping down his cheeks. "But as frightening and chaotic as lightening is, it manages to do it in a way that makes you crave for more. To desire to see the unpredictable paths it makes, each unique from the last."

I tried to look at lightening through Kakashi's eyes. Another strike touched down in the distance. The colors that lite up the sky, the purples that inked the sky were something that only nature could recreate. It was remarkable really.

"They're destructive, but beautiful just like women," Kakashi winked, teasing me.

I shoved him, pretending it insulted me as I walked ahead, leaving him drenched and alone.

* * *

This lightning, as dazzling as it was, was different. Chaotic and unpredictable but somehow more contained. Like the force of nature was trapped in glass. The color was off as well. Instead of the deep purples, color of bruises in the sky, this was a shocking blue. As blue and clear as a cloudless, sunny day. My ears rung with the sound of a high crackle. Like fire screaming as more wood was being fed.

I questioned my eyes until the haze started to lift. The blurred edges of my vision became crisper, clearer. I was oriented enough to pull myself upright.

There was actual lightning inside the closed room. It screamed violently as it ripped through Caesar's shoulder who knelt before me, motionless. His head leaning forward, slumped.

I could tell now that the force wasn't moving on its own. Someone was controlling it. Behind the blinding blue was a flash of silver. Silver hair.

It was Kakashi.

Kakashi dismissed his jutsu, hurried over, and helped me to my feet. I stood light-headed for both being clubbed and from what I just witnessed. I never knew Kakashi had power like this. To be able to control something that _destructive_ and intimidating in the palm of his hands.

Kakashi held me where I stood, studying me. Concern and anger was written all over his usually expressionless face. It was the same look he gave me when we were on the hospital's rooftop. When he urged me to stay in the village. The same, strong look.

Hesitantly, as if made of glass that could shatter at any given moment, he gently caressed my face. It felt impossible for the same hands that caused so much catastrophe moments before be so gentle now.

With his thumb, he wiped blood that dripped at the corner of my mouth. Must have been there when I bit Caesar's atrocious tongue.

"You're bleeding," he said matter-of-factly.

Even after all that has happened, a small smile reached my lips. I grabbed his arm, flattered for his concern.

"Don't worry," I reassured him. "It's not mine."

Under Kakashi's mask revealed a smirk, unfazed by my new ability to speak.

Curiosity got the best of me. "What was that? How did you do that?"

Kakashi's smirk deepened. "That was my chidori. A lightning technique that I developed on my own."

Before I could display my admiration, a deep growl, like a bear waking from its slumber, interrupted.

"You fucking prick," Cesar grumbled. Rising while grasping his bleeding shoulder, "You're going to fucking pay for that." A fresh dose of nausea up bubbled within me.

Kakashi, with a flick of a switch, was back to fighting mode. "I'll take care of things here. Go save the others."

In a heartbeat, I pushed all the horrible thoughts of Caesar out of my mind, going into flight mode as well. I nodded and ran out of the hellish room, grabbing Caesar's axe which laid undisturbed along the way.

Just like that, I was back in the amphitheater and quickly concealed myself, and the massive weapon, behind a pillar. Isiah and James hovered over Sasuke like he was some kind of science experiment. They held hands while their free hand rose palms up towards the sky. They loudly chanted in some other language, eyes closed.

"Equitans in pravos vermes dicamus in mundo. Nos benedicare et sapientia tua. Benedicite nobis cum munus tuum," they chanted monotonously. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but it couldn't be good.

Violet was crunched into a ball at the corner of the room. She looked frightened but unharmed.

I needed to move quickly and with a plan. The problem was, they were completely exposed. Good, yes, but there was no way to get closer without getting caught. It would be simple if I could suddenly reappear in front of them, get the upper hand, but nothing was ever simple with me.

Ultimately, I made the conscious decision to just take this problem, like all the others, head on. I stepped out of my hiding spot, dragging the axe behind me. It was show time.

The scraping of the metal on concrete took them out of their séance. "You!" Isiah growled. "I thought Caesar put an end to you."

I smiled, flashing my teeth. "Sorry to disappoint you, but you won't be seeing him anytime soon."

To emphasize, I rose his weapon towards them. "But then again, you might be seeing him sooner than you think."

That really drove Isiah off the deep end. "Why, you little wench!"

I thought James would stop him per usual but this time, he nodded to Isiah, "Do it."

The simple command. The only two words Isiah needed to hear and his gold enchanted weapon was drawn as he charged towards me. The axe welcomed his sword with a long _clink_. We sparred for minutes after, both dodging each other's attack.

Isiah swung again and I managed to block. It was getting more difficult to defend myself.

_Come on,_ I thought dodging another attack. How could I use this to my advantage?

Caesar's weapon was exactly that, his weapon. It was made for a giant, not a small girl. The weapon was a foot taller and easily weighed fifty pounds.

_Think..._ _What if I didn't need to swing it? Why not thrust it?_

I quickly changed my handling of the weapon, moving my hands further down, towards the end. The weapon was now used as if I was trying to knock down a barricaded door. Each time Isiah used his sword like a shield, avoiding the sharp end of the axe.

The gems dug into my palms as I repeated this multiple times waiting for an opening. Soon, my force pushed him to the point of stumbling.

My opportunity.

I turned my body around a full circle, using momentum as my power.

"Don't try to act..." Isiah said, before I cut him off.

The axe sliced through the air like a boomerang. The weapon turned into how a ball and chain would function. With some difficulty, he managed to duck underneath the axe as it soared towards the end of the room.

_Good, my hands are free._

Isiah laughed. "You just threw away your weapon, you stupid b-"

His words were quieted by my fist driving into his face, from opposite directions.

"What?" Isiah mumbled, staring at me and my clone. But before he could question the insanity of it, his nose gushed blood as his eyes rolled back. He crumbled, unconscious, on the ground.

"Bitch," I said, finishing his sentence. "You stupid little bitch."

My clone grinned at me as we did our signature high-five before she disappeared.

Without hesitation, I ran towards James and Sasuke, without bothering to pick up the axe. My heart hammered into my throat as I got the full view of the ritual. Each of Sasuke's extremities had neat surgically placed cuts. His limbs pooled with blood.

James noticed that Isiah has been knocked out and started chanting even louder. "Credo in vobis. Vestigia usque in exitum seqquemur. Da nobis eorum. Da twis sunt!"

James was screaming and so was I, begging him to stop, to leave Sasuke alone, to stop this madness. Our voices became a tornado of sound, nothing was distinguishable. We sounded like the real thing, savages.

James screamed his chants, red faced, hair astray, eyes bloodshot. Completely and utterly losing control, going insane. He pulled a dagger from his hip and rose it over Sasuke, directly over his heart.

Seeing Sasuke helpless made my heart skip beats, working overtime to keep me on my feet. Sasuke was my close friend and along with the others, helped me in more ways than they will ever realize. I would not let them down, I couldn't. I didn't know what I would do with myself if something happened. I would never forgive myself.

"Stop!" I screamed. "Don't you dare lay a finger on him!"

James' eyes rose to meet mine. He looked like a rabid animal, sick. "I will not have you interfere."

His tone made my body stiff. "Don't."

"You will not interfere!" He looked at the ceiling, "Rakil! Give me your strength!" As he plunged the dagger into Sasuke's chest.

Time slowed down. I suddenly became hyper aware of my surroundings. The beads of sweat dripped from James' brow, the tension in his grip that made all his veins pop, the calmness on Sasuke's face. The innocence as he laid there peacefully, unaware of how upside-down the world was around him. It was not fair to him. It was not fair!

My body became electrified with pain. Every cell became active, alert. Pain shot through my body. My veins felt like they were bitten by thousands of fire ants. My blood was burning, bubbly, boiling. I was being cooked alive.

Losing focus, tunnel vision threatened to fill my world with darkness. No idea what was happening as I tried to fight consciousness. Tidal waves of pain took me under. I was drowning. I almost lost my humanity when an image flashed in my mind.

_Sasuke._

Sasuke laying motionlessly on that damned slab of stone. Flashbacks of Sasuke rushed in. My first impression of him when I first met the team. Such a dark, humorless aura. When I held his hand for his sake and mine in exchange for one-on-one training. When we pranked Naruto by pouring a bucket of water on his head when he was attempting and failing to flirt with Sakura. That was the closest I ever seen him smile. His stupid smirk.

Instead of drowning, I grasped for life, my confusing life, my unknown life and swam to the surface. The all-out pain began to dull and I took advantage of it. I took control of the pain, molding it. The tunnel vision started to diminish as I channeled the sizzling agony. The pain traveled to the pit of my stomach; bubbling brew needing a place to go, like an angry teapot. I performed hand signs that I didn't consciously know what they symbolized as heat traveled up my esophagus and out my mouth.

Everything happened in nanoseconds. James was millimeters away from Sasuke's beating heart as an inferno of heat and flame engulfed him.

I ran to Sasuke as James dropped his dagger and screamed in agony. The flames grew bigger, eating him like a fire demon. James was the fuel for this monster of heat and pain.

I removed Sasuke's restraints as James stopped, dropped, and rolled, desperate to extinguish the flames. The smell of burning flesh burned my nostrils, bringing me to the realization.

_James was on fire! I set him on fire!_

My hands shook as I finished freeing Sasuke. I tore strips from my t-shirt and wrapped them around his bleeding wounds.

I avoided looking at James. I knew he was dead. He stopped screaming minutes ago, burned alive. _I burned him alive..._

I was tending Sasuke's wounds when I finally noticed Kakashi standing in the room. He had a few scrapes and tattered clothing but he seemed to be intact. I could feel his eyes burn into mine.

"Is he gone?" I asked, referring to Caesar.

"He has been taken care of." The skeptical look was written all over his face as he stared between me and the burned victim, but didn't push on the issue. Good, because I didn't even know how to explain what just happened. I don't even know myself.

Kakashi handed me a kunai to free Naruto. He does the same with Sakura. The cutting motion of the restraints woke Naruto up.

He grumbled, confused, "Quorra? Wh-what happened?"

"Shh. It's okay. We're getting out of here," I reassured.

"Whoa. Quorra, you can talk. C-cool." His head lolled.

I gave the Knucklehead a small smile. "Yes, Naruto. The mute speaks."

"That's cool. I can-can talk too, see." He goes about sloshing his tongue and sticking it out. Ironically, not actually talking.

I cut the last restraint. He stood with my arm around him, supporting him. "Is it time for ramen? I'm hungry."

I was so exhausted for words but I managed to say, "Ramen sounds fabulous."

* * *

The day was bright and warm as Team Seven and I stood at the entrance of the village. After defeating James and Caesar and saved the lives of thousands to come, we released Yukinaga and the rest of the men from prison. I never saw individuals look so shocked with disbelief. They said they were forever in our debt. Even Yukinaga mumbled something in a form of a thank you. Even now, as we're about to return to Konoha, they thanked us as they stood next with their reunited families.

Standing with the mothers and children was Violet. She was alright, just a bit shaken from the event. Even with what had happened, she decided to stay in the village. To start over her life and help re-establish the village. I couldn't blame her, I would want a clean slate. I knew she would do good things here, she was a tough girl.

"Thank you for saving my husband," Yukinaga's wife said. "You are all heroes and we will never forget it."

"Awe, shucks," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head. "It was nothing. Believe it!"

Sakura got annoyed by the remark and laid a knuckle on his head. "You idiot! You didn't do anything. It was all Quorra."

I felt my cheeks heat up. I was touched by the compliment, but didn't feel so heroic. That slime ball Isiah slipped from our fingertips and managed to escape. No one has seen him since. Also, Team Seven didn't know about my newest discovery. Who knows what they would think of me. I didn't even know what to make of it.

I burned someone to death. My first murder, a common thing for shinobis but not for me. I became a murderer. Granted, he was an evil man that needed to be stopped, but that didn't mean he deserved to die. Kakashi hasn't brought it up and I was thankful for it.

Taking the attention off of me, I laughed and dismissed her with a wave. "Nah, I didn't do much. It was all Kakashi. He was the muscle."

Everyone looked at Kakashi as he stared at me. Whatever he was thinking about behind that eye, he didn't say. He just smirked and said he was honored to help.

The villagers smiled in return and supplied us with goods for our return home. Food, water, and a few trinkets. We were about to depart when Violet stopped me. "Hey, Quorra! Wait!" Someone kindly guided her to me.

I gave her a questioning look. "Huh, what is it Violet?"

She uncomfortably stared at the ground while playing with her hair. I hooked my arm and guided her to the side for privacy.

"Violet?" I asked, concerned. Milky eyes rose to meet mine.

"It's just that," she began. "When we- we were in that cell and you touched me," she fumbled with her words. "I mean when you woke me up, you touched me and I felt something."

A bad feeling set in the bottom of my gut. I asked anyway, "What did you feel?"

"Fear. Confusion, but mainly fear. Feelings of being completely lost and alone." She finished with a remorseful tone.

_Great_. More mystery in my life. I had no idea if those emotions were coming from my past or future. Which was worse?

"Oh," I said, trying to keep the tremble out of my voice. "Well, thanks for the heads up."

"But wa-wait!" She stammered. "There was something else." I waited for her to continue. What else could there be?

"I saw something too. A pair of eyes."

A bomb was ticking in my stomach. "Eyes?"

"Yes, green pupil-less eyes, but nothing else. No face, just eyes and the color red."

The bomb set off. My insides became mush. A soup of organs, tissues, and cells. The same eyes from my dreams. Were my dreams not horrible, gut twisting nightmares but remnants of my past?

I thanked Violet as collectively as I could. She nodded, understanding. She knew I was being haunted.

* * *

This time, we were ready to leave. Our bags fully packed and we set out not before Kenshin, the nicer man from the resistance, gave me a gift. It was Caesar's double bladed axe.

"Take it as a token of our gratitude," he said with shining black eyes. "Even if you don't use it, it's a souvenir of the lives you saved."

Yukinaga let out a cough behind us, like it was still hard for him to believe someone like me had a part in his freedom.

Naruto and the other villagers ogled over the massive golden spectacle.

"Thank you," I said as I took the weapon. Immediately my hands rushed with pain and I yelped, dropping the axe.

"Quorra!" Naruto yelled. "Are you alright?"

Everyone crowded closer as I stare, dumbfounded, at my hands. They were an angry red. The especially painful areas had formed blisters. They were burned.

"What the?" Sakura said.

"I don't understand," Sasuke said, just as shocked.

Kakashi looked at me critically. I opened my mouth but no words left my lips. I don't know what to say. Before I held the enchanted axe no problem and now I can't.

_What the hell is happening to me?!_

* * *

**Justice has been made. Everyone inside the village, and outside, are now safe from James and his deceiving demeanor. Violet told Quorra some unsettling news. Whose eyes are those that they both have witnessed now?**

**Quorra was able to wield the enchanted weapons, proving she was a citizen but now Caesar's axe burned her. What does that mean? **

**"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." -Helen Keller**

**Reviews are love.**

**xo**

**Happy Holidays. See you next year.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **It's a new year so I'm turning over a new leaf... just kidding there's still cursing.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Leda**

Fuck, I was late. I was _really_ late. I was 'Why bother go to class,' late.

Last night's nightmare kept me up all night. It was a sick, twisted mutation of James, Caesar and a sea foam eyed monster. The creature had tentacles for arms and Caesar's body with pupil-less eyes. James' head perched on the hideous body, demanding me to burn to pay for my sins. Overall, last night was full of unwanted excitement.

I dashed through the halls searching for 2-B. Infuriated Kakashi's tardiness was rubbing off on me. _Ugh!_ _Curse you Kakashi! It's my first day! I can't screw this up already._

I skidded to a halt when arriving in front of the classroom's door.

What was I doing in front of a classroom without my teeth brushed and my hair out of whack? Well, I was following the Hokage's orders.

The day Team Seven and I returned to the village…

* * *

… We were immediately summoned to the Hokage's office.

"Now, explain to me again what happened, Kakashi," the Third Hokage demanded.

Kakashi's demeanor was cool as ever, even though we all knew we were in big trouble. "We were at the front northern gates talking with Kotetsu and Izumo when an injured shinobi from another village collapsed at our feet."

"Alright, go on," the Third ordered.

"The wounded shinobi warned us of danger outside of the village, so we immediately investigated."

"And?" the Hokage asked. "What did you do with Quorra?" He rose a brow, knowing he will not like the answer.

I stared down at my feet, ashamed. I was allowed to stay in the village under a few circumstances. One being that I must stay in the village, under observation.

Unhesitant, Kakashi explained the journey to the Hokage. About the massacre in front of the distant village, James' mannerism, Caesar's sneer. He explained how we were welcomed for the night but it was a trap. Team Seven was captured and chained in a dungeon to be sacrificed to a God who believed to put all shinobi lives to rest.

Kakashi explained my role in a glorified manner. Overemphasizing how I was the savior, me alone. He hardly mentioned his role, how he was all the muscle.

I didn't understand why he was praising my abilities to the Hokage. He was the true hero. Without him, I didn't even want to think what could have happened to me.

He told the Hokage that Caesar's axe, which was currently leaning against the door frame, wrapped in several layers of cloth, was a gift from the village. But failed to mention that it _burned _me, which only does that to high level chakra wielders, to _shinobi. _My hands were bandaged at my sides, hidden from view.

He also failed to mention my frightening experience with fire. How I breathed fire to ignited, murdered, and burned James. That was a huge secret he was keeping. That sort of information was to be reported to the Hokage right away, but instead he grazed over it.

Kakashi explained how my training with Team Seven had really paid off and I was developing wonderfully. Sure, I improved with Team Seven by my side but being portrayed as this big hero didn't sound plausible.

"Quorra came with us. It was an emergency. But, without her, who knows what could have happened," Kakashi concluded.

Hokage-sama's brows furrowed as his face twisted with anger. "Kakashi, you have disobeyed me. You knew she was not allowed to leave the village. When I said under _no_ circumstances, I meant it."

His voice was steady, but it was easy to tell that he was not happy, not happy at all. "I know how lenient you have been with her. Did you think I wouldn't have eyes and ears around the village? I know how you have been letting her venture out on her own when you're supposed to be keeping a close eye on her. I don't know what has been going on with you, Kakashi."

I winced. It still hurt hearing all the accusations made of me, even though they were true. It was my fault, not Kakashi's. He was just giving me some independence. Now, he was getting in trouble because of me. I would never want that.

"I'm sorry!" I yelled, too loudly, bowing profusely. "I'm sorry, sir! Sir- sama! Hokage- sama, sir." I wasn't helping myself, babbling like an idiot.

"Please don't blame Kakashi. Um, Kakashi-_sensei. _Sir, Hokage-sama," I pleaded.

"Yeah!" Naruto intervened. "Cool it, Old Man! Quorra was the one who saved the day."

Sakura chipped in. "Yeah, Quorra saved us. She stopped the crazed men when we were captured."

"Quorra is a hero. She saved the village. Believe it!"

"Cool it, you two," Sasuke hissed. "It doesn't matter. She still broke her regulations. She wasn't supposed to leave the village, but she did it anyway."

Ashamed doesn't covered how I felt. Yes, it was an emergency but that didn't mean that I had to follow Kakashi. I could have stayed with Kotetsu and Izumo until they returned. I should have. Even if that was against regulation too, leaving Kakashi's side, but that was better than leaving the whole village! I was walking on eggshells as it was. I was only allowed to stay to be continually studied and I ruined it.

_How could I have been so stupid?_

"Yeah, but…" Naruto contradicted.

"I'll leave the village," I spoke to the leader of the village.

"What? No, Quorra!" Naruto exclaimed.

"He's right, Quorra. You can't leave," Sakura pleaded. "Where would you go? It's not safe out there on your own."

I held my ground. Speaking to the Third, "You allowed me to stay in the village without you or myself knowing who I was or where I came from. You allowed me to stay but I lost your trust. It is my fault and will pay the consequences."

I didn't know where to go but here wasn't an option anymore. The Hokage wouldn't allow someone who didn't follow orders to stay, let alone someone he didn't trust. I could always go back to the village, with Violet. I wasn't sure of I wanted that, but there aren't any other choices.

"I'm sorry. I'll leave the village," I finished.

The Third Hokage stared at me for a long time. The tension was so high in the room, that you could smell it. Everyone was silent, waiting in apprehension.

His tensed brows began to loosen and a smile crept onto his lips. "Quorra, my child, you protected the village and their shinobi and put the village over yourself. What kind of person would I be if I made you leave?" His eyes were full of passion. He wasn't making this up.

"Wait! So, she can stay?" Naruto was too excited to contain himself.

"That's what I'm saying." The Third smiled.

"Wahoo!" Naruto yelled, jumping on me. I was being suffocated by the hyperactive ninja and I didn't care. All that mattered was that I was allowed to stay.

"Of course. That is, if you want to stay, Quorra. I think the village needs someone like you," the Third said.

Without hesitation, "It would be an honor to stay, Hokage-sama." I finished with a bow.

Sakura was clapping with glee, happy that her shopping buddy was allowed to stay. Sasuke remained quiet, but I knew him, the Dissimulate was glad. Kakashi smirked from under his mask. I was happy to stay with this wacky group.

The Third intervened the celebration. "But in order to continue protecting the village, you need to be properly trained and educated. Starting next week, I want you to start attending the Academy. You will be placed at a higher level because of the knowledge and skills you already obtained."

Shocked, it took a minute to register what he meant. "Wait. You want me to become a shinobi?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, Quorra. I meant it when I said the village could use you."

Naruto, Sakura and I all leapt with glee.

_I was becoming a shinobi?!_

* * *

Soon after that, all my citizenship papers were handled. Since I was still a minor, Kakashi offered to be my legal guardian until I was old enough. And just like that, I was officially a citizen of Konoha. I couldn't have been happier…

* * *

…After all the huffing and puffing and racing to class, the emotions finally caught up to me. I was excited but also nervous. _What if Sensei hates me? What if I wasn't good enough?_ Now wasn't the time to be worrying about that. I was late as it was.

I opened the door as the sensei was yelling at a student. "Pay attention! Maybe if you spent more time studying instead of goofing off and sleeping in class, you would actually know a thing or two!" he screamed, throwing a chalkboard eraser at the poor student's face.

Sadly, he didn't stop there. "All of you are worthless, WORTHLESS!"

I could see the foam and spit fly out of his mouth onto the student's face from here. He was like a fire hose or something, not like it was extinguishing the student.

I froze at the door, not knowing what to do. A few students now noticed me and stared with puzzlement. _This guy is going to murder me for being so late._

No longer able to take this uncomfortable situation, I cleared my throat, hoping that would be enough to get his attention. Unfortunately, Sensei was so engulfed in ripping this poor student a new asshole, that he hadn't noticed me.

"You, all of you," pointing violently to everyone, "need to stop being hogs in the mud and start DOING SOMETHING!"

Sensei walked to his desk and caressed a potted plant. It had some kind of ribbon on it. "Do you think I won first place for being WORTHLESS?! NO! I worked hard every day; watering it, giving it enough sunlight, telling her she is perfect in every way." He petted the pot as if it had actual feelings; distracted from tearing students into pieces as he whispered sweet nothings to the plant.

_Fuck me. _I sighed. "Um. Excuse me, sensei."

His ears perked up as I finally caught his attention. His eyes tore away from his precious houseplant. "What?! What do you-?"

As his eyes laid on mine, he stopped in his tracks. His round black eyes dug into me, staring me up and down, like I was some kind of science exhibit. I shuffled in my spot uncomfortably.

He smiled devilishly. "Yes. What can I help you with?"

I nervously dragged my feet to hand him the Hokage's letter. In it explained my situation and why I was stupid enough to walk into class. As he read, students started to snicker, making me even more uncomfortable.

_Remind me what I am doing here? _I questioned to myself.

"Ah! I see! Well class, it seems we have a new student. Welcome Quorra! Take a seat!"

_This guy is bipolar. _

Thankful my asshole was still intact, I bowed and searched the room for an empty seat. Most of the seats were filled with annoyed students. In the back row, there was an empty spot and I dragged my sorry ass to my now official seat.

The student next to me was a girl with long, bright red hair pulled up into a pony tail. Her hair had blunt bangs with a few strands of hair that hung around her ears. She obviously did not care for this class as her feet were crossed on her desk. She leaned back in her chair with her hands behind her head, snoring. Yes, the girl was blatantly sleeping in class.

Everyone in class was snickering even more. It felt as if I was unaware that toilet paper was stuck to my shoe and was being everyone's laugh for the day. I shrunk into my seat.

Sensei cleared his throat. "Okay, you worthless children, for our new student," he paused smiling at me. "I will reintroduce myself. I am Shiri-Sensei and we are all going to have a _great_ year."

_Geez, he can't be more sarcastic if he wanted to._

His loud mocking tone, yet not his psycho-ness from moments before, caused the sleeping girl to grumble and awaken.

Now the students were really snickering. I heard words like 'shit' and 'she's screwed' and even 'I can't wait to see what she does to her'.

_Her? Are they talking about me? What's going to happen to me?_

My question was answered as the girl, fully awake now, slammed her, once elevated, feet onto the floor.

Her light brown eyes glared at me as if I was the world's biggest crime leader. It was creeping me out. I thought Shiri-Sensei was frightening, but this girl looked like she wanted to tear me into pieces _and _then bury me deep underground.

Everyone in the room quieted quickly, as if worried they would be slashed at. Or, because they wanted to see what shit show was about to happen.

For several moments, the girl continued to scowl at me with hatred in her eyes. Shiri-Sensei went on with the lesson, oblivious that everyone was focusing of this wild girl next to me.

I didn't know what to do. Should I look away and ignore her? That would make me look like a coward. But, should I be starring back, face-to-face? Prove that I wasn't afraid of her even if the students thought otherwise. Either way, this girl was a ticking time bomb.

The girl began to growl. She was actually growling! Like a wild animal. Like I was meat. _I am dead meat. I think?_

Before she could lash her claws at me, the bell rang. Class was already over.

As if the bell sprung everyone out of their trance, the students forgot all about the predicament and gathered their belongings. Soon enough, most of the students were out of the classroom, moving on to better things.

I was about to leave my row when the girl walked behind me and kicked the leg of the chair with such force, it went soaring from underneath me. My ass hit the hard ground with a heavy thud. My bag and papers scattered around me. I sat with bewildered shock. I was the kid who lost their parents in the store. Not realizing when it happened but when I finally do, it hits me full force.

The girl flipped her long, fire red hair over her shoulders. "Cunt," she said with her nose stuck up in the air and marched out of the room. She left as I sat like a lost child on the floor, wrapping my mind around it and what to make of it.

Hopeless in a sea of papers, a girl walked up to me. "Need a hand?"

Cautiously, I took her hand and stood on my feet. "Man, what's her problem? Did I steal someone's seat or something?" I asked, rubbing my tailbone.

She shook her head. "That's Leda. Don't take it personally. She's like that with everyone. She's probably just pissed that she doesn't have the row to herself anymore."

"Geez, what an overwhelming welcome gift." I groaned.

She giggled. "Well, welcome. My name is Mae." She held out her hand this time to shake.

I shook. "I'm Quorra."

Mae smiled brightly. "I thought your name would be Dot or something."

"Dot? Why would you think that?" I asked, not seeing the connection.

"Because your eyes look like the gemstone peridot. They're so light green!" she gawked.

"That's my birthstone, you know." She pointed to her necklace with the small gem on it. The yellow-green gem glimmered.

Mae's eyes were beautiful. They were a Caribbean blue. The color of the depths of the ocean. Her dark brown hair made her blue eyes pop that much more. I didn't understand why she was gawking at my eye color when what she had was much more beautiful.

I beamed. "Come on, Sapphire. Let's get out of here before Sensei decides to teach another lesson."

Her eyes shined from her new nickname. We gathered our stuff and left.

* * *

Mae and I stood outside the Academy. We were joking around, impersonating Leda.

"I'm big, mean Leda. Hear me roar!" I joked, pantomiming Leda. "I will crush you. Grrr."

Mae played along. "That's perfect! That's exactly her."

We laughed and acted together.

"We are so childish." I joked and we laughed even harder.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kiba leaning against the distant wall of the Academy. He offered to pick me up today since it was my first day of school. Kakashi or Team Seven would have offered, but they are currently out of the village on a mission. Something about guarding a builder who was to complete a bridge in the Land of the Mist. It sounded like a pretty boring mission.

"Well, I need to get going," I said.

"Right. I'll see you around sometime." It was obvious Mae sounded disappointed.

Without hesitation, I answered, "Of course! What to have lunch together tomorrow?"

Mae perked up right away. "That sounds great!"

I waved goodbye to Mae and raced up to Kiba.

"Hey," he said, nonchalantly. "How was your first day?"

Akamaru yipped, wanting to know as well.

Reflecting on my first day, I placed my hands behind my head as I walked. We had plans to have dinner together at Ichiraku Ramen. _Today was surely eventful._

"It was good," I began. "Let's see, I was late for class, have a psychopath for a Sensei, got knocked down and called a cunt by a fellow student, but I made a new friend!" I said cheerfully.

"That's good," Kiba said. Then he skidded to a haul. "…. Wait, what?!"

* * *

**The Third somehow allowed Quorra to not only stay but demanded her to get the education she needed to become a shinobi. It is a dream come true for Quorra but will her new Sensei and fellow student tear her down?**

**There were some new characters introduced in this chapter. Shiri-Sensei, the plant-loving lunatic. Leda, the Terror who hates everything and everyone. And Mae, the all around nice girl who Quorra seems to getting along with. Which character do you like and wish to read more from?**

**"Tough times never last, but tough people do." -Robert Schuller**

**Reviews are love.**

**xo**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Bitch fights and inappropriate mannerism

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: The Monster's Logical Asylum**

I woke as the sun shined over the horizon. For the next week, my ass was up at the crack of dawn to make up for day one's tardiness. I refused to be late ever again.

Still mortified from the first day's series of events, I hesitantly opened the classroom door. Inside; however, no one was here yet. I debated whether to resume my current seat or steal someone else's. In the end, I decided against stealing some poor sap's seat. There was nothing wrong with the seating arrangement. I was not going to have a girl scare me off that easily.

As time ticked away, I passed the time reviewing last night's assignment. It covered the different hand signs and their representation.

_So, the tiger seal is for protection…_

I was so engulfed in my work, I failed to notice Shiri-Sensei hovering over me.

"Good morning, Quorra. I see you're studying. I like seeing students so invested in their work," he said in a toothy grin. He was much more uplifting than usual, but he still gave me the creeps.

I faked a smile. "Yes, Sensei. I want to graduate as fast as I can." It was the truth. I was honored to be here on the Hokage's orders, but school was still school.

"Ah," he replied. He sat at the edge of my desk, uncomfortably close to me. His breath reeked of coffee and mint. "I'm sure you will graduate in no time and top of your class, too. I just know it."

I thanked him, even if he had no reason or evidence to believe that, as students began to file in. Shiri-Sensei grunted in annoyance as he made his way back to his desk.

Mae walked in and exchanged good mornings. The room was mostly full as Shiri-Sensei cleared his throat to start. The seat beside me remained empty. _Maybe she will not come today._

I counted my blessings too soon when the walking destruction herself entered the classroom. Her sneer seemed to be a permanent feature. We made eye contact as her angered expression deepened, if that was possible.

Praying that Leda would simply ignore me, I kept my eyes forward. Pretending to pay attention to Sensei's droning voice. I was in the clear until, at the last second, she swung her backpack toward me, skidding it across my desk. Papers scattered to the ground.

"Oops," she said, taking her seat. "Sorry." She threw her legs onto her desk and leaned back, comfortably.

I bit my tongue and held the edge of the desk, using all my will-power to keep my attention straight ahead. _Bitch._

* * *

At lunch, I sat with Mae at one of the picnic benches outside like we have been doing for the past week. Mae had, as always, a neatly crafted bento box. This time it was with rice, vegetables and chicken dumplings. It looked so scrumptious, my mouth watered. All I had was a sandwich.

"Man, I'm jealous," I said. "Your lunch looks so good." I made an exaggerated, gawking expression.

The comment made her laugh. "Thanks. My mother made it."

I stared at my shitty sandwich. Most of it was mushed from being in my book bag. Sighing loudly, "Damn."

Mae offered to split our lunches. I wanted to decline, but I couldn't help myself.

"Deal."

She handed me a set of chop sticks as I tore my sad-looking sandwich in half and plopped it onto her dish.

"Bon Appetit," I joked.

She took a bite. "It's actually not that bad," she stated, pushing her glasses up by the nose piece.

"No, it's fucking terrible. I think someone could have made a better one with their feet." We both laughed.

"Yeah, it's pretty terrible," she admitted which made us laugh even harder.

"Speaking of terrible," she segued. "What are you going to do with Ms. Destructor over there?" Knowing exactly who she was referring to, we glanced at Leda sitting a few tables down.

I responded honestly. "I don't know. I promised Kiba I wouldn't get into any fights."

Mae looked puzzled. "Kiba?"

_Oh, right._

"Yeah, Kiba is my friend outside of the academy. He graduated already."

Shocked, "Wait! You're friends with an older boy? A shinobi boy?"

I didn't understand the big deal. "Huh, yeah? Well I'm older than him, actually."

"And you didn't _tell_ me? What's he like? Is he good looking? Do you like him?" She shot off question after question, rapid fire.

"No, we're just friends," I clarified.

How could I explain what Kiba was like? I mean, he wasn't ugly. He was a kind, caring boy but had a hot temper like no other. We were caught bickering and arguing over nothing more often than not.

I summed him up in a sentence. "Kiba is a pain in my ass."

We chit-chatted as lunch time slowly dwindled away. As it was about to end, Mae stood to throw away our finished lunches. Standing by the trash can was Leda, smoking.

Mae was returning to the table when Leda left her post and walked pass Mae.

"'cuse," Leda mumbled as she simultaneously pushed Mae aside. Mae tripped and tumbled to the ground. Her glasses skidded across the dirt floor.

"I said _excuse me_," Leda spat, not bothering to look back.

I rushed over to Mae, retrieved her glasses, and helped her to her feet. Few students giggled nervously, unsure what to do in this situation.

"I'm okay. Don't worry about it," she said. Her face was red from embarrassment. Silently, I guided her back to the table.

"It's okay. Don't worry," she said, unconvinced. "Just forget about it."

But I couldn't. "I can't forget about it," I said, seething.

It was one thing if Leda picked on me. But, to purposely harm Mae, the sweetest girl who voluntarily ate my death sandwich was unacceptable.

"I'm going to get her for this," I said through gridded teeth.

"Please, Quorra," she pleaded. "Just let it go."

She was still embarrassed and didn't want the experience to be any worse than it already was. However, her pleading did not sway my feelings. That bitch had no right picking on others. I thought back to yesterday's dinner conversation with Kiba…

* * *

"Come on, Quorra," Kiba said, slurping. "She can't be that bad."

Stuffing my mouth full of noodles, "No, it's really that bad. I heard people talking about how she once shoved a student's head in the toilet and the kid ran out crying. Had to tell their Sensei that they 'fell in'" I finished with air quotations.

"Damn, that's pretty bad," Kiba admitted. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I'm stuck sitting next to the bitch, too. She's going to torture me," I sighed.

"Whatever you do, don't create a scene. You don't want the Hokage to hear that," he warned.

"But, if she bullies me I have to stand up for myself!"

Kiba placed his chop sticks in the bowl and stared at me harshly. "I'm serious, Quorra. The Hokage is putting his trust in you. Don't screw that up."

"I know that. Argh!"

That's all I needed. I wasn't about to have the Hokage hear how troublesome I was, not when he just allowed me to stay and study to become a shinobi.

"I'm fucked, man," I concluded.

"Yep," Kiba confirmed. "Ready for round two?"

"Hit me."

* * *

Mae and Kiba were right. I should just let it go. I didn't want to create drama. I was better than that.

"Yeah. You're right. I'm sorry," apologizing to Mae, calming down. She smiled sympathetically.

A commotion started up behind us. Curious, we turned to see a young boy, no older than eight, creating a scene.

"Hey! Give that back!" the boy yelled. He jumped, trying to reach an apple that Leda held just out of reach.

"Oh?" She exclaimed. "Was this _your_ apple? I'm sorry." She handed it back not before taking a giant bite. "Here you go, Short Stack," Leda snorted, taking another drag.

The boy stared, dumbfounded, at the half-eaten apple in his hand. "Grandfather packed this special for me. He knows how much I love apples." He sniffed.

Leda laughed harder. "Well, your little _grandfather_ he packed _me_ a nice lunch. Now beat it, kid."

The boy tried to walk away, but couldn't as Leda stepped on the boy's long scarf. He tripped face first into the ground.

I stared at Mae, horrified. That's it. I can't stand back and witness that without doing anything. Sorry Mae. Sorry Kiba. Silently, I walked towards Leda. Mae called after me to stop, but I didn't listen. Leda was not getting away with it.

In front of Leda, "Apologize," I demanded.

Leda stopped mid-laugh. "Excuse me?"

I stood my ground. "You heard me. You need to apologize to that boy and Mae."

"I don't need to apologize to anyone actually," she replied, taking another drag from the cigarette.

Furious, I ripped it out of her hand and threw it on the ground. My foot smothered the ambers.

"I _said,_ you need to apologize. This is my last warning." My voice spoke, eerily calm. It was the calming before a storm. The kettle that was about to lose its top.

Everyone stared in silence.

"No," Leda said.

"Apologize!" I yelled.

"Make me!" She screamed back.

And I did. Fluently, my fingers curled to a fist and slammed into her cheek bone. Everyone gasped. I'm sure no one had ever talked back to Leda, let alone physically touched her before. But I was not an ordinary no one.

Leda was shocked as well as she rubbed her already swelling face. "You _hit _me!" Leda was flabbergasted.

"Slapping is too girly," I said, matter-of-factly. "Now, you need to apol—."

Before I could finish, a solid punch laid smack dab in my eye socket. Clear shock registered across my face. My eye pulsated, angrily. My mouth hung open.

"Slapping is too girly," she mimicked.

_Why this bitch…_

We jumped into an all-out brawl. It was a ball of screaming, punching, slapping, hair pulling, eye gouging, you name it fight. No one dared to stop us in fear of being sucked into the inferno we created.

Iruka-Sensei must have heard the commotion because before I knew it. He was between us.

"Girls!" Iruka yelled. "What in the world are you doing?"

"She's a bitch!" we both screamed simultaneously as we tried to continue our brawl, climbing over Iruka-Sensei.

Iruka-Sensei pleaded for us to stop but it was muffled by the sounds of our own screams and fury. We both grabbed the closest objects to us, both happened to be a student's glass of water and proceeded to dump it on each other.

"Girls! I said that's enough—" Instead, Iruka-Sensei got the blow. He was soaked as his hair fell out of place.

"Oops," I said, innocently. Leda smirked.

Iruka-Sensei wiped the water off his face, red with fury. "To the office. Both of you."

Leda and I stood like stone, incapable of comprehending what he was saying.

"Now!"

* * *

Leda and I sat in detention, silently, listening to Iruka-Sensei tear us to pieces.

"We take safety very seriously here," he reprimanded and continued giving us a lecture but I honestly wasn't paying much attention. I placed the ice pack over my eye. I could feel it swelling under the ice.

Leda didn't look like she was paying attention either as she leaned on her cheek, ice pack in hand.

"…do I make myself clear, girls?" Iruka asked.

We both monotonly agreed to whatever he was telling us. Sensei seemed unconvinced, but calmed down.

"Good, now you two think over your actions," he said as he huffed out of the room, leaving us alone.

I took the ice pack off to feel the damage. It was sore to the touch. Got to hand it to her, she had a pretty good punch. Judging from her scowl, my punch wasn't half bad, either.

I couldn't believe this happened. Yes, I initiated it but who could blame me? She was physically hurting and picking on people. How was I supposed to sit back and watch that?

The ice pack covered my eye once again. _Man._ The Hokage was not going to be happy to hear about this. I would have to explain it to him without sounding like I was a crazy, impulsive person. Even though, I kind of, sort of, definitely was.

I laughed out loud. _I always have the best of luck._

"What's so funny?" Leda asked, annoyed.

"It's just that trouble always seems to find me." After laughing, I finished by saying, "That and I'm stuck in detection with a psychotic bitch," directing the comment towards her.

Leda stared at me evilly before laughing as well. She seemed to agree with some part of it. "I like you."

I was taken aback by the absurd comment. "Well, the feelings aren't mutual," I bit venomously.

Unaffected, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes and a lighter. She placed one between her teeth and lit it. Smoke surrounded her.

"Want one?" Leda asked, tilting her pack towards me.

I turned her down. "Nah, I'm good."

"Oh, come on," she rattled the box. "You're not one of those pussies who worries about lung cancer and bullshit, are you?"

"No," I replied. Truth be told, she was right, but wasn't going to tell her that. "I just don't want one right now."

Leda nodded, "Sure, yeah, okay." She took another drag.

"If people give you that lung cancer crap, why do it?" I asked.

She took a deep hit. "At least, this way, I'm in control."

I nodded, not entirely sure what she meant by that.

"You got a damn good arm." Leda admitted. "I'm going to feel this for the next week."

"Thanks," not flattered. "You do too. But did you have to deck me in the fucking eye? I look like Kung Fu Panda."

Leda began cracking up again, "Kung Fu, who?"

"I don't know. I made it up." We both laughed hysterically envisioning this character and how I could resemble it.

Leda was downright satisfied with her smoke has I accomplished getting lung cancer via second hand. I was not in the mood to complain, however.

"You know Shiri-Sensei has the hots for you, right?" Leda said, completely off topic.

I choked from both the news and the smoke clouds. "He does _not _have the hots for me!"

But Leda was not having it. "Oh, he so does. Please, that man has been talking to you all puppy-eyed since the moment he saw you."

My face heated up, causing my sore eye to pulsate even more. "That is not true! He's an instructor. It's his job to want his students to do well."

Leda snorted. "Yeah, Okay. He stares at your ass because he wants you to do _well_."

"He does not stare at my ass!" I shrieked.

"Honey, he stares at you with lust in his eye. He has to keep his mouth close to prevent himself from drooling," she cackled.

I was completely horrified. Even if she thought this and Shiri-Sensei had been touchy-feely, doesn't make it true.

"I don't believe that," I lied.

"It's your funeral then," Leda sang, finishing off the cigarette and fishing for a fresh one. "He's a sucker for the innocent ones."

"I am not innocent!"

The door to the classroom opened. I expected it to be Iruka-Sensei but to my horror, I find _him_.

"I don't think that's right," Iruka said to Shiri-Sensei.

But whatever they were discussing, Shiri-Sensei was not having it. "Of course it is! She would have never been in here if it wasn't for her."

Shiri-Sensei found me and immediately locked eyes. All the anger he had moments before melted away. "Quorra! I'm so sorry you are in here. _That_ one can corrupt anyone she laid her finger on."

Leda snorted in response and gave an 'I-told-you-so' look.

_Fuck! Fuckity-fuck!_

I tried to pull it together without screaming. "Actually, I stared the fight, Shiri-Sensei." Saying his name make me want to hit myself in my good eye.

My statement went completely over his head. "She can twist your story, too," staring at Leda maliciously.

Leda smiled. "I'm flatter by your kind words, Sensei."

Ignoring her, "Come on, Quorra. We're leaving."

Iruka interrupted. "Shiri-Sensei, she can't leave. This is detention."

"I don't care what this is," he said. "Detention is no place for a lady especially with that monster." He pointed to Leda.

I felt sick. The disgust in the pit of my stomach was more painful than my throbbing eye. I gave Shiri-Sensei a look of pure hate. If he wanted to see a lady, I'll give him a lady.

Without permission, I pulled a cigarette out of Leda's carton and stuck it between my teeth. "Light me."

Leda gladly lit it and I inhaled sharply.

As smoke clouded my lungs, I kept inhaling. My eyes began to water but I refused to cough. I exhaled a storm cloud with pride, the room was swimming in smoke.

I rose from my seat, bud still in my mouth. "What we waiting for, Sensei?"

Without waiting for permission, I walked out of detention. Shiri-Sensei didn't say anything, but he looked bothered by my scene.

_Good._

* * *

He escorted me to the courtyard in front of the academy. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Quorra. You're such a fantastic student. I would hate for something like her ruin that for you."

Huffing another tobacco laced drag, I blew it in his face. "Don't worry, Sensei. I can take care of myself. Starting with fulfilling my week-long detention Iruka-Sensei gave me."

Shiri-Sensei tried to ignore the smoke but couldn't as he coughed, swatting the fog away. "But you don't need to," he said, lovingly.

"But I _want_ to," I said, rudely. "I started it and I will finish it."

I walked away without being dismissed. Waiting to be dismissed was for ladies.

Shiri-Sensei called out to me. "You're gonna get a respiratory disease if you smoke that much."

With my back against him, I said, "At least I control it," and walked away.

* * *

**Quorra ignored Kiba warnings and stood up for herself ending her in the slammer, or you know, detention. Will Quorra get along with Leda long enough to survive the week-long detention or is she going to end up in even more trouble?**

**"Bullies want to abuse you. Instead of allowing that, you can use them as your personal motivators. Power up and let the bully eat your dust." -Nick Vujicic**

**Reviews, comments and questions are love.**

**xo**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Sneaking out is hard to do, but not letting those fowl words fly.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: Dragon Scales**

Just as I promised, for the following week, I paid my dues in detention. During that time, Leda and I warmed up to each other. Yes, I still thought she was one crazy ass bitch, but she had a few redeeming qualities.

"Would you rather become suddenly blind or deaf?" Leda asked as she lit her second cigarette in detention. For example, she often asked strange and random but profound questions.

"I don't know," I replied. "Being blind would suck."

"True, but then I could trip you and get away with it." Smoke clouded her as she spoke.

But, like I said, she was a crazy bitch.

She rambled on as I stared hopelessly at the clock. Just because I said I was going to pay for my consequences, didn't mean I was going to like it.

The minute hand ticked so slowly, I thought time was going backwards. I groaned in frustration and laid my head on the desk in defeat.

"What's wrong, Quorra-line." She had a knack for nicknames, too. "Bored at our little detention?"

"It's not the highlight of my day. I'll give you that," I muttered in my arms.

"Then let's go," Leda said, as if it was as simple as that.

"We can't just get up and _leave_."

"Why not," she said, more as a statement than a question.

Before I could give her a proper reason, she was at the window, opening it. "Come on. Slow poke."

I stared at her with disbelief. After being stuffed in this room with a chimney for a week, I was going to bail on the last day. For what, to get into trouble and start this bull crap all over again? The non-broken clock ticked a measly minute.

Thoughts wandered to what Iruka-Sensei would think and I instantly felt bad. We caused him enough trouble as it was. Having him go off on a goose chase to find and drag us back wasn't exactly on my 'Goods Deeds for the Day' list.

But then my thoughts moseyed onto what Shiri-Sensei's reaction would be. His black demonic eyes staring at me with unrequited love. Which led to me not giving a shit what he thought. Which then, ultimately, led me to say, "Fuck it, I'm coming."

Leda smiled as she threw her legs out the window. "'Atta girl." She hopped out and I followed.

* * *

Leda took me, apparently, to her favorite hiding spot. We climbed the ladder rungs to the rooftop to some kind of weaponry shop. "I like to come here when I want to get away."

"Get away from what?"

She shrugged as we reached the rooftop. "You know, life or home."

"I don't know, actually. I have no memory of them." I spoke with a bitter taste.

I was in search of my life and home, not escaping it. My mind couldn't wrap around the reason to escape something that was so secure and relevant like family. The things I would do to get just a glimmer at that kind of life.

Leda looked back with an almost jealous look. "You're not missing much."

We walked onto the rooftop and I could see why she liked it so much. It was the perfect view of the shopping street, but we were also just high enough to see the various training grounds. Beyond that, the village wall and the endless forest.

It made you feel small, puny. You thought you knew your surroundings, but in reality, you had no clue what was beyond your sight of vision. We were a meager drop in the sea of mystery. It was beautiful, yet daunting at the same time.

We sat atop the highest point on the roof, some kind of storage unit. A flock of birds flew in the distance. Their wings beat in unison as they have been doing their entire life. It was second nature to them.

"I envy them," Leda said.

"You wish to fly like them?" I asked, assuming that was what she meant.

Leda shook her head. "I envy the way they fly. The leadership of the front bird and the loyalty of the last. They were a pact, something I never had."

With this newly found interpretation, the way the birds portrayed themselves was totally different. The front bird flew with confidence, without a stutter. The last bird flew chaotic, not in rhythm with the rest of the group. He often trailed behind, but that little guy flapped and caught up with his group, his family. Loyalty.

"They fly together through thick and thin," she continued.

I understood now. Leda never had that leadership and loyalty in her life. She didn't feel like she had a family.

"Each of them knows their rightful place in the group," I answered.

Leda nodded in agreement. Sadness was written all over her face. She didn't want it to consume her as she avoided eye contact with me. She stared at the birds hopelessly. It was disheartening seeing her like this. Even if she was a scary, crazy girl.

"I didn't think you were the scenic type," I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

That stifled a laugh from Leda. "Yeah? What type did you think I was?"

I thought about this for a minute. I wanted to say the irrational, impulsive type but didn't want to turn this moment sour.

"The type who wears dragon scales. One who doesn't let anything penetrate their skin; the kind who sees and acts on what they want to believe, not necessarily what is right," I said, honestly. "Hence why you decked me when you didn't want to apologize to that poor boy. You refuse to believe you are wrong, ever."

Leda smirked. "That does sound like me doesn't it? I sound like a fucking cunt when you put it that way." She lit a new cigarette, red angry ambers flew into the wind to be carried elsewhere.

I stared out onto the horizon. "But, I think there's more to you than you want to lead on."

"Like what?" she asked, in a non-believing tone.

She didn't want to believe so, but I did think there was something deeper down. I'd been in close quarters with her for the past week. Through conversations, insults, and debates, I sensed a softer interior under that reptile skin. Under very, very thick skin but none-the-less there.

"You are a thinker" I told her. "You wear armor to protect your thoughts and feelings."

Leda was silent for several moments. I was afraid I went too far. Opened my big mouth and said something that struck a nerve. "I…"

"I rather be deaf but being blind would be way more beneficial to me," Leda interrupted.

"What?" I didn't know where that was coming from until I recalled one of her random questions she asked before.

"If I lacked vision, I wouldn't be obsessed with appearance. I wouldn't be materialistic. I wouldn't cry while looking in the mirror. Wouldn't judge people based off of their looks. I'd be more grateful. And, I'd be stronger."

I let Leda's words sink in. They marinated into my thoughts. Her words, her sadness. She tucked and folded her emotions, her insecurities until there were hardly anything left. But they will always be there. Thoughts were immortal.

What I said next came straight from my heart and my own immortal thoughts. "But then you can't see the beauty you would be putting into this world."

Leda snorted in disgust, "You don't actually believe that."

"Yeah," I said, more confident. "I actually do."

That shut her up. Her mouth twisted, like she didn't know what to come back with. Eyes penetrated into mine, trying to find an answer to no question.

"Come on, Quorra-bee," she said as she hopped down. "Let's go grab something to eat. I'm fucking starving."

* * *

We headed towards a barbeque restaurant since, according to Leda, sneaking out brought that much of an appetite that we had to go to an All-you-can-eat. Before we arrived, Mae bumped into us.

"Hey, Quorra," she said, giving Leda a welcoming smile. Leda paid no mind. "Aren't you supposed to be in detention? Did Iruka-Sensei let you out early?"

Leda smirked.

"Well, actually…" I began to explain my latest naughty deed when someone interrupted.

"Quorra! There you are!" I knew the voice belonged to Kiba. I waved as he headed towards us.

"Who's that?" Mae whispered.

"Him?" I replied. "That's Kiba. I've mentioned him before."

Mae stared Kiba up and down as he approached, eagerly. "He's hot," she concluded.

I was shocked by the sudden declaration. Mae wasn't the kind of girl would ogled over many boys.

I tried to look at one of my closest guy friends through Mae's eyes. Kiba walked clumsily, too energetic. His eyes were bright and his toothy grin smiled even brighter.

Kiba wasn't a bad looking guy. I could understand why Mae was so attracted to him. But, I knew Kiba more than her. I got the full blast of his short temper and huge dose of stubbornness. Our constant arguments and pranks on each other rested my case.

I knew all about his clumsy falls into bushes and holes. The time he got a ramen noodle stuck up his nose. His accidental ass grab to an elderly woman at the market and made me swore not to tell anyone. Ultimately, Kiba was just my friend. I saw him as my super close, silly friend. So with that, my reaction to Mae's declaration, the one word before Kiba got within hearing distance was:

"Nah."

"Hey, Quorra." Kiba said as Akamaru hopped off his head into my arms.

"Hey, Kiba. Hi, Akamaru," I laughed as the puppy did his notorious licks and slobber.

Before I had a chance to introduce her, Mae gave me a small nudge. "Oh, Kiba. These are my friends, Mae and Leda. Guys, this is Kiba and his puppy, Akamaru."

Akamaru yipped, his way of greeting. Mae smiled goofy at Kiba while Leda had her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. It was obvious she could care less about Kiba and Mae's fascination and just wanted to eat.

"It's nice to meet you, Kiba," Mae said, rosy cheeked.

"Yeah, totally," Kiba blew her off. "I was looking for you everywhere, Quorra."

Mae gave me with a weird look, but I ignored it. "Me?" I asked. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Kiba took Akamaru back and placed him back upon his head. "Well for one thing, Iruka-Sensei bumped into me. He's looking for you and did not look happy. Something about skipping out on detention."

"Shit," I muttered. Of course, Iruka-Sensei would not let it go.

"Wait, you two _skipped?_,_" _Mae asked, wide-eyed.

"We didn't skip," Leda interrupted, defensively. "We just excused ourselves early."

"So you snuck out," Mae was now the defensive one, crossing her arms.

"We were in detention long enough," Leda spat. Her temper was obviously on a short fuse.

"It's wrong," Mae argued back, not looking Leda in the eyes. "Aren't they wrong, Kiba?"

Kiba was shocked from the sudden change in direction. "Huh," Kiba scratched the back of his head, guiltily. "I'm not the one you should ask that. I used to skip detention all together." He laughed, uncomfortably.

"It's still wrong." Mae said to me. "It's not right."

I sighed. The guilt was getting to me. "You're right," I admitted. "It was wrong of us."

Leda snorted and whipped her head in the other direction. Her bright red ponytail following after.

"_We_ were wrong," I pressed. "I'm sorry, Mae." Her features softened but she still looked mad.

"I'll go find Iruka-Sensei." I told Kiba.

"Well, that's the thing. Iruka-Sensei doesn't want to see you. It's the Hokage who does."

"What?!" Mae and Leda said, simultaneously. Leda's head whipped back faster than before. I thought it was going to fly off.

I groaned. "Fuck. Not again."

"Again?" Mae asked, appalled. "You've been requested before?"

Leda looked intrigued as well. She stared at me owl-eyed. "Wow, I didn't know you were that much of a troublemaker."

I pinched the bridge of my nose and tried to clear my mind. "I'm not." I replied, releasing the pressure. "I'm the Hokage's, erm, regular, you could say."

"Iruka-Sensei found me and said if I found you to send you to the Hokage's office right away." Kiba said, giving me a look. "I told you not to-"

"I know!" I lashed at him. "But I didn't listen, alright? I'm going! Leda, your place is on the way, isn't it? I'll walk you home."

"Yeah, whatever," Leda grumbled, walking ahead without waiting.

"I have to go anyway," Mae said. "Dinner is probably ready." I knew Mae was mad at me but I also knew what would coax her into forgiving me.

"Kiba," I said, overly sweet. "Do you mind walking Mae home? It's starting to get dark. She shouldn't be out on her own." Mae looked at me like a deer in lights. She tried hard to conceal her smile. She failed.

"Oh, huh, sure. Yeah, sure of course," Kiba said, flustered.

Kiba, Akamaru and Mae walked away. "See you later," Kiba said, looking back.

"You bet," I smiled, hoping the Hokage doesn't kill me first. With that, I caught up with Leda.

* * *

Within minutes, Leda and I arrived in front of her house. I walked Leda home after detention before, but never stepped foot inside.

The house looked cold and empty. All the lights were off even though it was almost night. She explained to me that she only lived with her father. I never dared to ask what happened to her mother, or anyone else for that matter. Standing in front of the house left an ominous presence. Something felt wrong but I pushed the issue aside.

"Here you go. Sorry we couldn't do dinner. Rain check?" I said, cheerfully. Well, as cheerful as I could muster.

"Yeah, fine. See you later," Leda quickly dismissed as she rushed to the door.

I watched Leda reach for the knob as the front door swung open. Standing before her was a middle-aged man who looked like he had been through a few battles. His eyes were black and sleepless. Hair hung to his shoulders, straggly. And finally, a liquor bottle was held tightly in his grasps.

"Where have you been?" he asked, angrily.

"Nowhere," Leda shot back, bumping, assuming her father, aside as she walked in.

Even now, something was off as I tried to give a friendly wave. Her father gave me a dirty look, like I was a contamination and needed to be quarantined as he slammed the door behind him. Again, I pushed the strange feelings aside and headed towards the Hokage's office.

* * *

I knocked the door to the Hokage's office three times. There was no reply. I pressed my ear against the door and listened, nothing.

_Maybe I'm in luck and just missed him. Even the Hokage has to be home for dinner, right?_

"Come in," the Hokage said, muffled behind the door.

"Shit." I assumed the Hokage wanted to reprimand me for skipping out on detention. But, if that was the case, shouldn't Leda be here with me? Maybe it was because the Hokage was still uncertain about me staying here in the first place.

"Let's get this over with."

I was greeted with the Hokage working diligently at his desk. The Hokage glanced up from his stack of papers. "Ah, Quorra. Come in."

I nodded, closed the door, and walked towards his desk. "You needed to speak to me, Hokage-sama?"

The Third gave a kind smile. "Yes, I did."

"That's her grandfather!" Someone yelled from behind me.

I jumped from the sudden presence and turned to see a small boy sitting on the floor with homework sprawled out in front of him. It was the little boy from school who Leda was picking on. _Why was he here? And why did he…_

"Grandfather?" I spoke, shell-shocked.

The boy responded, "That's the girl from my school, grandfather." He pointed to me, accusative. "The one with the cat eyes!"

"I thought you were talking about Quorra," The Third said, scratching his goatee. "Her light green eyes are very distinctive."

_Damn my eyes!_

"Grandfather…" I sounded like a broken record.

The boy ran next to his grandfather. "Yes, this is my grandson, Konohamaru." Konohamaru gave a cheesy smile.

I felt the blood leave my face, what did I get myself into? If I knew he was the leader of this village's grandson, I wouldn't have gotten involved.

"H-hi" I managed to squeak out.

_I'm so screwed._

"Konohamaru explained to me what happened at school," the Hokage began.

_I'm fucked. Fucked._ What did Konohamaru tell him? That I hit a fellow classmate in the face? That I caused total chaos during lunch and most likely upset half the school? Man, and I drenched Iruka-Sensei with water. Why the fuck did I do that? The Hokage was going to kill me or exile me! I really buried a hole for myself this time.

"I want to personally…"

"I'm sorry!" I yelled.

"…Thank you," the Hokage finished.

The blood rushed back into my face. I felt red like a tomato. "Thank me?" I couldn't hide my shock or utter confusion.

The Hokage nodded. "Yes, I wanted to thank you, personally, for defending my grandson. Fellow classmates can be a bit cruel at times, but you stood up for him."

"Right!" Konohamaru piped in. "No one ever stops the bullies. But you did!" His smile was blinding. "Thanks, Quorra! You're my hero!"

My heart swelled. Konohamaru had a tough time in school and still had a high spirit.

_I became his hero by pummeling someone… sounds about right._

However, I couldn't help point out the obvious. "But, I decked Leda in the face…"

The Hokage made an expression, like he ate something sour.

Konohamaru gleamed. "Yeah! That was awesome! You really nailed her!"

_Not helping, Konohamaru!_

"Konohamaru," The Third warned.

The boy frowned dramatically. "Sorry."

The Third continued, "Yes, we don't condole violence especially in a learning environment. Unfortunately, it sometimes leads to that in order to defend yourself."

"Right!" Konohamaru nodded, strongly.

"Be we still don't encourage it. Right?"

Konohamaru stuck out a tongue. "Yes, grandfather."

"Good," he said, patting his grandson's head. "I still wanted to personally thank you, Quorra. For defending my grandson."

This was too much. "Huh, you're welcome, Hokage-sama."

The Third smiled. "That is all. You are free to go."

I didn't question him as I bowed and tried not to dash to the door.

"Oh, and Quorra?" he called.

"Yes?" I stopped.

"Spare Iruka-Sensei premature grey hairs and stop skipping out on detention, will you?"

I cringed, knowing it would bite me in the ass. "Will do, Hokage-sama."

* * *

**Leda's bad vibes are rubbing off on Quorra as they skipped out on detention. Quorra compares Leda to having dragon scales. Will Leda open up to Quorra and reveal her past? What should Leda's past entail?**

**"I walk slowly into myself, through a forest of empty suits of armor." -Tomas Transtromer**

**...**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and feel free to contact me. It's a pleasure to know so many people read my story. I am always looking for improvement or any feedback. Thank you so much!**

**XO**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Bad words- dun dun dunnn.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chepter Eighteen: Ashes &amp; Blood**

Leda wasn't in school the following day, or days after for that matter. Mae and I sat outside the Academy eating lunch.

"And he talked about when he was given Akamaru and how they have been inseparable ever since. It was such a cute story," Mae squealed.

I wasn't listening. My mind was on Leda and whether she was alright.

"That's was when Akamaru licked his face. Ugh, I was so jealous."

"Mhm, yeah." I brushed her off. Ever since Kiba walked her home, she has been telling the same story like a broken record.

"Hey, are you even listening?" Mae accused.

It took several moments before realizing she even asked me a question. "What? Sorry, I'm listening. Just have stuff on my mind," I admitted.

"You're worried about Leda," Mae said, more as a statement than a question. "She's probably just skipping."

That was a very possible explanation. Leda was notorious for skipping class, smoke by the dumpsters, or stroll the marketplace, any excuse to get out of class.

But, something was eating at me. She didn't tend to miss this many days. It made me feel on edge. "I don't know. For three days? Don't you think that's a bit odd?"

"Yeah, perhaps. Evaluations are tomorrow, too," Mae admitted.

"Exactly. Everyone knows evaluations are tomorrow. She wouldn't miss the days before unless something was up."

Mae nodded slightly, looking in the distance. From her expression, this conversation as over. "Did I mention how cute Kiba's triangles are?"

* * *

In class now, Shiri-Sensei finished up today's lecture. "That will be all for today, you blood sucking leeches. Remember there will be no lesson tomorrow due to evaluations." The class moaned.

"Better be prepared," he warned. "The evaluations tell you how far you have progressed and determine whether you waste of spaces are worthy enough to graduate. Many of you will not like what I will have to say," he said, smiling.

_That's because you're an evil bastard, _I thought.

With that, the class dismissed themselves.

I came to the conclusion that I might as well ask the devil, I mean, Sensei for Leda's homework. She couldn't afford to fall behind any further than she already had. The classroom was practically empty by the time I approached the front desk.

"Excuse me, Sensei?" I asked as politely as I could muster.

Shiri-Sensei looked up with diamonds in his eyes. "What can I help you with, Quorra?"

_Someone help me._ "I was hoping you could provide me with Leda's homework so I could give it to her."

He gave a scrutinizing look before nodding. "You are too kind-hearted, Quorra. Only someone as giving as you would worry about a fellow student. Even the delinquents."

I used all my humanly strength not to roll my eyes. "I wouldn't want her to fall behind."

"No, of course not," he rubbed his hands together. "Especially with evaluations being tomorrow. Want to be in the best situation for them. Of course you have nothing to worry about."

_Yeah, I wonder why. _"Thank you, Sensei."

"Here you are," he gathered Leda's assignments and handed them over, not before he clasped my hand.

As his sweaty claw was on my skin, "See you tomorrow," he said with a sickly smile.

Casually, I ripped my hand away. "Right…Bye, Sensei," I said, scurrying the fuck out of there. I rather had stuck my hand in an animal trap before ever doing that again.

"You owe me big time, Leda."

* * *

It doesn't take long before I arrived at Leda's house. Even now, the house didn't look welcoming with its broken shutters and chipped paint on the door. I didn't even want to walk up to the door. What if the father opened it? Recalling his haggard appearance and lifeless eyes made me shiver.

Before I could muster the courage to step foot on the porch, there was a loud crash within the home.

I quickly sheltered myself alongside the porch. Cautiously, I peered over the railing. The crash followed by screams. Not out of fear, but rather anger. The source came from a high-pitched woman followed by a deep, angered man. I managed to duck before the front door swung open.

"Fuck you, old man!" Leda screamed. "You and your slut girlfriend can go fuck yourselves!" She stomped down the stairs and ran for it, not noticing that I was right beside her.

"Leave her out of it, you whore of a daughter!" Her father yelled, his words slurred.

But it was too late, Leda had already vanished. Spared from listening to her father's horrendous comment.

My body pressed even closer to the porch. Praying he doesn't venture towards the rail for then he would for sure spot me. Luckily, he just mumbled angrily before slamming the door.

I exhaled the breath I didn't know I was holding.

_Leda…_

Shoving her meaningless homework into the crook of my arm, I dashed after her. I didn't know which way she ran but I had a clue.

* * *

My hair whipped violently in my face as I climbed up the final rung. It was a lot colder and winder being it was so late in the evening. The wind absorbed through my jacket, into my bones.

_Please be here._

Walking towards the end of the rooftop, a sob sung in the air. "Leda?"

Following the sound, I found a fragile girl with obnoxious red hair, crouched behind a storage container. Leda was ferociously striking her lightener, desperately trying to light the cigarette that hung from her mouth.

"Leda?" I tried again.

This time she heard me and jumped, but soon settled once recognizing my voice. "Go away," she said, half-assed.

She reattempted to light her cigarette, but the light flickered out by the wind each time. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck," she cursed with each attempt.

I crouched down and took the lighter from her frail fingers. "Here," holding my hand up to block the wind, I lit it.

Amber light glowed bright in the dead night. Leda inhaled her gateway drug; letting the fumes cloud her tormenting mind. "Thanks," she muttered, sadly.

Together, we sat and leaned against the storage container. The brutal wind changed its course, meaning we were somewhat protected.

We sat in silence with only the sound of howling wind and smell of tobacco to break our train of thoughts.

"I hate him," Leda said.

I didn't bother sugar coat it. Leda cursed and fought with her father, but that didn't give him the right to fight back with the same hatred. He was supposed to guide her, not tear her down. "I hate him, too."

Leda showed a sad smile. "It wasn't always like this."

"Yeah?" I didn't say anything else until she was comfortable.

"Yeah," she continued. "When my mother was around, we were always together. Laughing, smiling, having dinner together. Talked about the generic bullcrap. 'How was your day?', 'Did you learn anything today at school?', 'pass the vegetables.'"

Leda let out a shaky breath. "Dare I say we were happy? But we weren't. Maybe we were never truly happy. One day, my mother sat silently at dinner. She wasn't acting herself and ever since then, was never the same.

"That's when the fights and arguments began. My mother slowly started to disappear from the dinner table. My father followed soon after."

She took an unsteady breath of smoke and tobacco. Goosebumps protruded from her ghostly skin. She had little clothing to protect her in only a black cropped top and cargo pants.

"What happened?" I dare asked.

Leda laughed uncomfortably. "Turns out. Mother was even more miserable than I thought. She completely cracked one day. Went hysterical about how she hated my father and wanted a divorce, but he refused."

Leda couldn't hold herself back any longer as tears streamed down her face. "That night she left and never came back."

Her face contorted with confusion and anger. "She left us. She left _me_. Did she hate me and my father that much? Sure I was a bit of a troublemaker, but I thought she _loved _me."

It made sense now why Leda was the way she was. She was hurt and acting out in order to protect herself. She was abandoned as a child, of course she would be guarded. It broke my heart.

"That was when my father started drinking. That's when the fights started. When he became the monster he is today. And I can't help think it was all my fault."

"You can't think like that!" I snapped. "You can't blame yourself for an action your mother did."

Leda didn't look convinced. "Yeah, maybe."

"No, maybe!" I grabbed her hand and made her look me in the eye. "You are a young, smart girl. You are a bit of a wise ass, but you have a heart of gold. If your mother doesn't want to watch you grow into the young woman; the young badass woman you are going to become, then she doesn't deserve to be your mother."

Leda stared at me for several moments before wiping her stained cheeks. She rolled the short bud between her fingers. "Do you know why I smoke?"

"To be in control," I answered, reciting the answer she gave me once before.

Leda nodded. "Sure, I might get lung cancer or throat cancer or some other bullshit. But, I want to be the one who controls my faith. If I die, I want it to be because of _me._ I want to control when I die, not the bastards in my life who slowly destroy me."

What didn't make sense to me before did now. All the hurt others put her through; all their actions that affected her life. She wanted to be the one who controlled when she dies. She wanted that one thing, that one freedom and no one was going to take that from her.

"I would miss you if you died," I admitted.

The bud that rolled between her slender fingers was now rubbed on the rough rooftop. Her doe brown eyes shined. "I don't plan on going anytime soon, Quorra-bean."

"You better not, or else I would kick your ass beyond the grave," I joked.

I threw my jacket over Leda's shoulders and guided her off the roof. She followed without hesitation.

* * *

I unlocked and opened the door to my apartment. "Home sweet home," repeating Kakashi's selection of words from when he first introduced me to my place.

Leda walked in, looking around critically.

"It's not much," I admitted, suddenly embarrassed by its small size and lack of anything. "But it's something."

"It's your home," Leda corrected as she smiled and back-flopped onto the bed. "I like it."

I sat at the edge of the bed. "Well, you can stay as long as you need to. You're always welcomed here."

It was also lonely here since Kakashi and Team Seven have been gone on their mission. But, I wasn't going to admit that.

Leda stared silently at the ceiling, still laying on her back. She wore a pondering expression. "You're too good to me."

Shocked at the comment, I smiled. "That's what friends are for."

This time she was the one who was shocked and smirked. "I guess so."

"Now go take a shower, so I can get to bed!"

Later, Leda took her shower and I provided her with a change of clothes. We laid in bed in the dark.

"Goodnight, Leda." I yawned.

"Night, Quorry," Leda said.

I was so exhausted, it didn't take long for me to fall into a deep sleep. Not before I heard what sounded to be in the far off distance, an echo over the dark horizon:

"Thank you."

* * *

_I didn't know where I was, but that wasn't anything new. I was used to strolling into the grasps of the Unknown; trudging through the jaws of the demon into the darkness. _

_The demon's insides were what one would expect; damp, slimy, cold. It was the kind of place that would ward off any logical person, but welcomed the shattered pocket watch hearted._

_My feet were not bound this time, allowing me the freedom to roam. It was even more terrifying. _

_There was so much more to the Unknown. That spiny bastard, it was. Pretending to be nice as its Cheshire smile grew even wider. Luring its prey in through its bioluminescent light that shined in the emptiness._

_I walked in the vastness of the demon's insides. Not much was laying around. Tables, chairs, bits of lab equipment sprinkled here and there. One apparatus, however, twinkled in my eye. _

_Traipsing towards it, I saw it was a thin glass piping that flowed from the ceiling and flowed into a small container filled with a bruised, red liquid._

_Was the monster bleeding?_

_The sickly, red syrup was dripping out of two connecting pipes. Their fit being slightly mismatched as the fluid seeped out, in fact, similarly to a bleeding wound. Tape was wrapped in a failed attempt to close the wound. A Band-Aid for machinery, preposterous._

_Something pressed me to touch the crying tears. It looked forbidden, like a spinning wheel begging to be touched, but drove me to mend. The slightest curious touch was soon deeply regretted. Immediately, my fingers burned as I ripped my hand away. _

_Was Unknown's blood poisonous?_

_My God, it felt like my fingers were stuck in acid. Looking down, blood from the apparatus plus my own dripped from my fingers. My fingertips were cut open. Deep cracks as if my fingers were trying to dispel the venom. My black blood mixed with the red, marble swirling into a whirlpool. Bubbles formed, eating my skin alive. That's when I felt it:_

_FEAR._

_"__Run…" said a low grumble._

_There it was again, the pair of sea foam green eyes, floating in the nothingness._

_FEAR._

_"__Run!" it gargled, louder._

_FEAR- as I ran._

* * *

I shot up from my bed with a fresh layer of sweat. I examined my finger, knowing full well I wouldn't find any blood. Even seeing the clean fingers, my brain was tricking me. Neurons shot to my brain convinced there was pain but my eyes reassured me there was not.

"What's the matter," Leda grumbled, still half asleep.

I almost forget she was here. "Nothing. Just a nightmare," I explained. "Go back to sleep."

She obliged with as she turned over and returned to her blissful rest. I tried to do the same as well, if it was only that simple.

Now I really missed Kakashi.

* * *

**We learn a little about Leda's past and why she smokes like a chimney. The one's that act out the most usually have the most haunting past. Quorra also had another detailed nightmare. What could any of that mean?**

**"Forget what hurt you in the past. But never forget what it taught you."-A**

**...**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's a pleasure to know people read my story. I am always looking for improvement or any feedback. Thank you so much!**

**xo**

**XO**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto, derp.

**Warning: **A little birdie told me there will be bad words in this chapter. But what does he know, he's a stuffed animal.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: A Day's Series of Unfortunate Events**

It took all my strength, the following morning, to roll out of bed. Wishing I could skip school and hide from the world, like Leda, but that wasn't an option.

"It's just one day. It's no big deal," Leda complained.

I rubbed my face, trying to rid my tiredness. "Yeah, but today is evaluations. I can't miss them. Don't need another reason to visit the Hokage," I moaned. Grabbing my shit, I headed to the door. "I'll be back soon. Stay comfortable."

Before closing the door behind me, I added, "And try to do some of your homework, will ya?" pointing to the pile of crumbled papers on the dining table. "Do you know how much of a bitch it was to get those?"

Leda cackled, knowing fully well how stepping anywhere near Shiri-Sensei was an instant K.O. for me. She held two fingers to her forehead. "Aye, Aye, Captain," and saluted.

I rolled my eyes and closed the door.

* * *

A hesitant knock sounded on the classroom door.

Instantly, "Come in!" yelled Shiri-Sensei.

Opening the door, with much dread, welcomed me to sensei sitting at his desk. A lonely chair was placed in front of said desk. My feet echoed on the wood floor as I took my seat. It was extremely weird sitting in class that wasn't filled with students. The room felt too large, making it uncomfortable.

"Hello, Quorra. Thank you for coming," Shiri-Sensei said. "I was looking forward to evaluating my best student all day."

"I'm your best student?" Skeptical, "I think I perform at the same level as my fellow students."

He waved me off. "You're too modest. You have so much motivation, so much passion for learning. It's obvious you're the fastest growing student."

This man was too much. There wasn't a reply as I avoided eye contact, staring anywhere but in his general direction. One of the things being his potted plant, the one he praised non-stop. With closer examination, it was a white flower on a wimpy stem. The planter had a #1 blue ribbon that was so large, it bombarded the view of the small pot.

Shiri-Sensei noticed. "Beautiful, isn't it? This little plant won first place at the Yamanaka's Flower Festival they hold annually."

"I see," I said, not sure how it won. The flower looked half-dead.

"It's a Jasmine," he said, very proud of his autotroph. "They represent grace and elegance."

"It's lovely," I lied. The poor plant was on its last stem.

"That she is."

"What?"

"Nothing," he shook, emptying his hollow head.

A sickened feeling rose as it felt like he wasn't referring to the flower. But, I pushed the thought aside, knowing it was just paranoia.

Rubbing his hands, "Right. Today we will be evaluating different aspects of your process as a student. We will review in areas of knowledge, hand signs and various jutsu including the shadow clone that needs to be performed in order to graduate. Any questions?"

I shook my head, wanting to get this over with.

Shiri-Sensei continued. "The first section is general knowledge. So..." He hesitated. "...What's your favorite color?"

"Excuse me?" My eyebrows scrunched.

"Your favorite color," he repeated. Pen was clicked and ready.

I didn't understand what a favorite color had to do with the evaluation. _Just answer the question - to graduate! _I nodded to myself, confirming my own thoughts.

"It's green." I smiled, harshly. My smile could have broken glass, stop conversations, make babies cry. "Seafoam green." The corner of my mouth twitched.

He jotted in his notebook. "Great! You're doing great, Quorra," he said, full of reassurance.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Why was he congratulating me? A two-year-old could tell you their favorite color. "Thank you, sensei."

_He just needs it for the evaluation_, I told myself. _No other reason but evaluations._

"You're welcome, Quorra... Quorra," he repeated. "What a beautiful name. Who gave you such a wonderful name?"

"Oh." Shock clearly registered across my face. What a deep and personal question. Who gave him the right to even ask that?

He stared at me with fascination. I was an exotic creature in his glass display. A caged animal with no way of escaping.

But if I didn't answer, he would give me a bad review. I exhaled calmly. "Someone who I care about deeply named me - Quorra."

Shiri-Sensei wore a look of disappointment by my vague answer. I should win an award for being able to put up with this, I swear.

"Should we proceed to the more important questions?" I asked, trying to sway from the personal ones. "You know, _school-related_ ones?"

His cheeks turned pink. "Right. Of course. Questions about _school_." His cheeks reddened as he gave me a look that I couldn't register. Like he was debating whether to say something or not.

My back leaned roughly against the chair, ready to escape. My hands were placed firmly on my lap. Fists tight, knuckles white. I sat in anticipation as the debate ran through his mind.

Sensei's eyes shined on an answer. "Speaking of flowers and favorite colors, have you been to the Yamanaka flower shop? It's a nice little shop that sells a variety of beautiful flowers. There's also amazing food and coffee next store. I'd love if you'd join me sometime so we could continue our talk on these... non-school related topics."

My face turned to stone. It was stark white, petrified stone. Maybe this wasn't a date. Maybe it just sounds like one.

"What do you say? Is it a date?" He gleamed.

If I was drinking, I would have spat in his face. Heck, if there was any drink laying around, I would have dumped it upon his head. He patiently waited for a reply, beaming. It took all my strength to prevent my jaw from dropping - from becoming unhinged and rolling on the floor. He blinked innocently. I was going to be sick. I couldn't speak. My mouth couldn't function. Only my feet could. Instead of replying, I did what anyone else would do in a bad situation.

"Excuse me!" I blurted and ran out the door. Get the fuck out of there!

He called for me as I ran from the classroom, down the hall and out the Academy. Running to the closest tree, I hid. My body crouched into a ball - heart and hands shaking wildly. I knew I was overreacting to the extreme. It was just a question, a stupid yes or no question. But, I haven't even thought about boys like that and my first time came from my sensei! I was mortified.

It took several moments to finally recompose myself. _I'll just pretend it never happened._ I thought. _That'_s_ it. It's in the past now. So what if an older man asked me out?_

I didn't bother to return to class. Shiri-Sensei most likely wrote a bad report and was sending it to the Hokage as we speak. Instead, I headed back to the apartment in defeat. So much for being the best student.

Not even past the school grounds, I saw Kiba and Akamaru, who rode happily on his owner's head.

_Shit._ How could I have forgotten? He said he would meet up and take me to lunch after my evaluation to celebrate.

He waved cheerfully at me. I waved back while giving a twitching smile. _Best act cool, Quorra!_

"Hey," he called. "How was your evaluation? Did you kill it?"

_Well, you could say that..._

"Yeah, I think so," I replied, trying to keep my poker face.

Kiba wasn't buying it. "You think so? Well, how'd it go?"

I walked ahead of him to hide my face. "Fine. It was fine."

"Just fine?"

"Yes! Fine!" I walked faster, looking way too guilty. _So much for leaving it in the past. _I thought.

"What happened?" Kiba questioned.

"Nothing," I answered, too quickly.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing, nada, zippo."

"Quorra..."

"Nothing!"

"Quorra!" He yelled, making me stop in my tracks. He walked in front of me and stared me down. "Tell me."

Wincing from his angry temper, I felt like a child being punished. "Nothing happened," I said, quietly, no longer fooling him nor myself.

His temper only heated up more. "Quorra, I swear to God, you are freaking me out. If you don't tell me what happen, I'll ask him myself." He marched towards the Academy as I grabbed his arm.

"Okay! Okay... I'll tell you. But promise you won't tell anyone."

* * *

I explained to him what happened. He was pissed.

"I'm going to kill him," Kiba growled.

"No! Don't! It's no big deal, really."

"It is a big deal!" He was screaming at this point. "He is your sensei. He supposed to be teaching you, not trying to make a move on you!" His face was beet red. Any redder and his triangle markings would disappear. Akamaru was barking.

"Please, Kiba," I pleaded. "It's no big deal. Just let it go." My words flew over his head as he marched to the Academy.

"Kiba don't," I yelled grabbing his arm. But it was no use, he just dragged me with him. My heels dug into the dirt as a trail of earth formed behind me. "Kiba, please! I'm begging you. You're going to make it worse."

Kiba stopped in his tracks, causing me to topple. "I can't. It's not right," he said through clenched teeth.

"I know! I know, it's fucked up. But I want to graduate! Please, Kiba. Don't you want me to become a shinobi?"

That calmed him some. "Of course I do," he said under his breath.

I grabbed the shoulders. "Then let it go. Please, for me." I gave him a severe case of the puppy-dog eyes.

_Please don't tear my sensei apart limb from limb._

He let out a hot exhale. His face calmed as did the shades of red. "Fine. But this isn't over. We'll talk more about this at Ichiraku's."

"I can't today," I said guiltily. "I have to go. Leda is at my place."

He gave a confused look. "The red head? Why is she at your place?"

I ran off before he could flare up again. "I'll explain later! I promise!" I called back.

"You better!" He threatened.

* * *

Unlocking the door to my apartment, I decided to do myself a favor and not mention my experience with anyone else. If Kiba was going to kill Shiri-Sensei, Leda would do far worse. A huge exhale later, I opened the door. Leda was doing her homework at the dining table, looking as miserable as I felt.

"That was quick," she said. "How'd it go?"

"It was good." I learned my lesson the first time. "Smooth sailing." _Lie._

She rose a brow but unlike Kiba, didn't think twice of it. "Good," she said, a twinge of sadness hung in the air.

"How's the homework coming along?" I asked, walking over.

"Wonderful," she muttered, sarcastically. She twirled and tapped her pencil - impatient, anxious, distracted. I couldn't blame her. It was just yesterday she got kicked out of her house and verbally disowned by her own father. I wouldn't know how hurt and betrayal felt since I never had a family, but in some cases, it was better not to.

It was then when all the horrors from today flew from my mind. It was selfish to worry about something so minute when there were worse things in life. All I cared about was being there for Leda and knew exactly what would cheer her up.

"Come on," I declared. "Let's get out of here."

Her eyebrows rose, this time, even higher. "Where?"

Smiling goofily, I placed a finger over my lips. "It's a secret."

Leda looked skeptical as if a white van selling candy pulled up. "What about this homework?" She asked, miserably. She was only doing the dreadful thing for my sake. I would have been happy she was finally doing work but after today's events, the tables have turned. I plucked the crimpled mess from her hands.

"I forget it," tearing the papers to shreds. White crumbled snowflakes fell on the table.

Leda smiled widely. "Already forgotten."

* * *

I dragged Leda and Mae to a woman's favorite place to de-stress: the hot springs.

"Here we are ladies! Time to melt our worries away!"

Leda looked excited, ready to bathe in a spring of warmth. Mae, on the other hand, looked worrisome.

"I never been to the springs," Mae confessed. "How does it work?"

I gave her a puzzled look. The concept was pretty straightforward. "You go to the receptionist. She'll give you a key. You lock up your clothes and step into the springs and let the magic happen," I explained, finishing my performance off with Spirit Fingers.

Mae was a deer in lights. "C-clothes off? As in -."

"Naked," Leda said, bluntly. "As in ass out, tits flailing, naked."

Mae squealed in freight. "I can't do that!"

"Why not? There are separate men and women sections," I reassured.

"But, but, but, but-" Mae was looking for a way to escape, ready for a mad dash.

Before she could do anything, I gave Leda a look and an eye roll later, we dragged Mae inside.

* * *

At the counter to greet us was Ayame, the girl who worked with her father at Ichiraku Ramen.

"Hey, Ayame!" Waving, "I didn't know you worked here as well."

Instead of her cooking attire with apron and headpiece, she wore an elegant, but simple blue kimono. It was quite a change with a flower tucked behind her ear to complete the look. She looked lovely.

Ayame gave a friendly smile. "Oh- hello, Quorra. It's good to see you. I work here part-time. I can't be around my father _all_ hours of the day. I'll go noodles." She laughed at her own joke as I introduced her to Leda and Mae.

"And where have _you_ been? You and Naruto haven't been at the shop as of late. It's been weeks!" she asked, hurt.

_Has it been that long already?_

"Sorry, Ayame. I've been busy with school and the team is out on a mission. But they will be back soon and we will celebrate at Ichiraku's, I promise!"

She waved me off. "It's fine. I'm just pulling your leg! I know I'll see you guys soon and Naruto will eat us out of stock!" We both laughed. That has happened on more than one occasion. I don't know where he puts it.

Ayame organized our appointments. "Three keys, then?"

"Yes," I replied, wiping a tear from too much laughter.

She grabbed the keys and handed them over as she peered at Mae. "Is she okay?"

Mae was white as a ghost and clung to Leda's arm. You would have thought we were sending her to an executor, not in fact, an all-day relaxation treatment. Leda rolled her eyes. I could tell she was itching to rip Mae off of her.

"She's fine," Leda said, annoyed.

"She's just shy," I said, defensively.

Ayame understood. "Don't worry. The springs are a very friendly and peaceful place. It may be scary at first, but you are with good friends and will love them in no time."

Our receptionist gave us the keys and we walked/dragged ourselves to the lockers.

* * *

The springs were better than I expected. It was a huge communal spring with spots that were open with secluded areas as well, if you wanted privacy. Beautiful greenery and shrubbery surrounded the area and there was a waterfall. A tall, wooden fence separated us from the men. At the far end of the spring was Hinata and Kurenai. I caught their attention and gave a friendly wave which they returned back. They must have the same idea as us. We stood before the edge in our towels. Mae was in her towel as well, hiding behind a boulder.

"I didn't expect her to be this shy," I muttered to Leda.

She gave her signature snort. "Are you kidding me? Did you not realize how she dresses?"

Mae typically wore an above-the-knee skirt with a simple long sleeved shirt that concealed herself. Her calves were shown but often covered by tall socks. Only her knees were exposed to constant sunshine.

"She dresses normally," I whispered.

"She dresses like a nun," Leda replied, not caring she was loud enough for Mae to overhear.

"You're the one to talk. If your top was any shorter, your areolas would flash the world. If she is uncomfortable, I don't see the point in pushing her. We're here to relax after all."

Leda shrugged, no longer concerned. The message went through one ear and out the other as she removed her towel and entered the spring.

I understood Mae being shy but she was among friends, girlfriends. But, I wouldn't force her. When she's comfortable, she will join. With that, I shined Mae a sympathetic look, de-robed and joined Leda.

* * *

After some time, Mae compromised as she sat at the edge of the spring; towel wrapped tightly around her as she kicked the water playfully. We chatted about what any teenage girl would talk about, especially to distract themselves from the hellish world: boys.

"Ashton is a cutie," Mae said. "His freckles make him so adorable."

Leda snorted in disgust. "Ew, no. Ashton is dweeby. Zayne, however, is where it's at. He's on my to-do list."

"List?" Mae asked, puzzled.

"To hook up with," Leda explained. "He's at the top of my bang list." She unnecessarily pantomimed herself trusting in the water.

"Oh, my gosh!" Mae was left speechless. Her face turned red from embarrassment.

"What?" Leda asked, defensively. "He's _hot_." Leda was more hormonally driven than a room full of horny teenage boys.

"He has so many piercings, he can set off a metal detector from across the room," I countered.

"So what?" Leda argued. "Just call me a metal detector and I'll find gold, baby."

If Mae's virgin ears weren't bleeding yet, they definitely were now.

Despise Leda's creativity, "You are really something," I dramatically sighed and sunk lower into the spring. Subconsciously, I heard a scratching sound, but didn't think twice of it.

Mae seemed to recover from Leda's dirty mind. "It doesn't matter. Besides, Kiba is still the hottest."

"Ew," Leda replied, again. "You think Dog-boy is hot? Seriously?"

"He is too hot!" Mae snapped, offended. "He's kind, sweet, and super funny! He is the perfect guy. Anyone would be lucky to end up with a guy like Kiba!" Mae huffed, out of breath.

Leda rose her hands up, defensively. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. He's your OTP, but control your love lust, will ya? Your nipple is going to poke me in the eye, it's so excited."

Mae was so engulfed in her speech that she loosened her death grip on her towel, causing one of her nipples to slip out. "Ah!" Mae yelled, fumbling to cover herself.

Leda hollered with laughter as if this was the best joke she'd heard all week. Mae turned red as Leda laughed even harder.

I sunk lower into the water. It was uncomfortable for one friend to yell her declaration of love towards another friend. I blew bubbled to distract myself from the commotion.

_Out of all the boys in the world, why did it have to be Kiba?_

"Sorry." Leda wiped a tear from her eye. "It doesn't matter anyway. He's Quorra's after all."

"What?!" Mae and I both yelled simultaneously. I shot out of the water like a torpedo.

"No!"

"Oh, come on," Leda taunted. "We both know you two have a thing. You can tell right away from his puppy-dog eyes."

I was about to argue back when the same mystery scratching sound appeared. "Guys? Did you hear that?"

"Don't avoid it, Quorra. We know it's true. Unless, you are making yourself available for our precious Shiri-Sensei," Leda joked.

I wasn't listening to her, but instead to the scratching. The sound was clearly coming from the fence. The very fence which separated the women from the men. "I'm serious. I think there's something clawing at the fence."

That grabbed Mae's attention. "Yeah," she said, leaning towards the source, straining to listen. "I hear it, too."

Leda wasn't buying it. "Oh, come on, you two. Quit trying to avoid the subject." At that moment, the scratching was loud enough for even stubborn Leda to hear. "What the fuck?"

We silently gathered our towels in search of the source. We investigated around the tall, wooden fence. The three of us pushed a jungle of plants aside as if exploring in the Amazon. The annoying tedious scratching was still present, but it was hard to pinpoint its location with the foliage. My face slid across the fence as the scraping vibrations became stronger. Soon, it felt like I was atop of it.

At first, there wasn't anything that could lead to an explanation. But as quickly as it came, a flash caught my eye. Behind the bush was a hole carved into the fence the size of a grapefruit. I peered through it.

"Didn't label you as a Peeping Tom," Leda joked, seeing myself crouched in a suspicious bush, looking into a suspicious hole that, suspiciously, led to the men's side of the spring.

Peering in the hole, a wooden tool probed into the hole, scraping against the sides. This was the source of the scraping sounds.

"Hello?" I called.

I was greeted with a dark eye blinking innocently at me. Only milliseconds later did it realize it had been caught.

"Shit," the masculine voice spoke and covered the hole.

Mae and Leda ducked and dodged branches to meet up with me.

"What is it?" Mae asked.

My temper soared as I drew to a conclusion. "Someone is spying on us."

"What?!" Mae shrieked, hugging her towel.

"Let me see," Leda said, pushing me aside as she examined the carved out hole.

"Helloooo ladiessss," called a voice. Together we stared at the top of the tall, wooden fence, where a man squatted. "Lovely day, isn't it?"

"You're spying on us!" I accused.

The man chuckled. "Spy? Me? No, no. I am simply doing research." We stared at each other with confusion.

"What are you trying to pull?" Leda said, pointing. "I'm not buying the research crap, Old Man."

The "Old Man" had long, spiky white hair that pulled into a ponytail. He also wore a horned forehead protector and had red lines that ran down his eyes to his cheeks.

The man smiled, amused. "First of all, I am NOT an old man. I am Jiraiya, The Great Toad Sage." His hand scanned before him as if reading his name in lights.

Leda wasn't buying into it. "The Great Toad Sage, my ass."

I couldn't pinpoint this guy. He didn't sound like he was lying. "Okay, Great Toad Sage," I said, sarcastically. "What exactly are you researching?"

Jiraiya beamed. The red marks on his face stretched as his smile grew bigger. "I'm glad you asked, Little Lady." He pulled out a small green book from his breast pocket. "I'm researching for my next book."

"You're an author?" I asked.

"Only the most successful author in all the lands!" He laughed happily, bordering on cockiness.

Leda and I sighed. _Conceited much?_

"What's the book about?" Mae's bookworm curiosity asked.

"This!" He said, pointing to two characters making out on the cover. "Is my Icha Icha series explaining the mystery and beauty of women from first-hand experiences. I help answer all of men's questions, like how women have beautiful, voluptuous breasts yet when men look at them they get pummeled. Or, or - when women have soft, velvety skin but get too close and they will bite, literally. One almost bit my finger clean off."

"Oh, Veronica," Jiraiya said. "What a feisty sex machine she was." Jiraiya stared off in the distance, cheeks rosy as he giggled to himself.

_Why did the book look so familiar_? I pondered. I certainly never read something that erotic. Mae and Leda haven't either as far as I knew...

"You're an Old Bingo Pervert," Leda snorted.

_Yeah, they definitely never read them._

Mae looked so traumatized, I thought she was going to have a mental breakdown.

That made me boil. "Hey! Don't talk to us like that. You're upsetting Mae."

The poor girl was shaking. I thought we would have to dip her in Holy Water to cleanse the sexual words out of her ears.

"Get lost. There's nothing to research here," I warned.

Jiraiya didn't put up a fight. "You're right. There's nothing to research because there's nothing left. You girls gave me all the info I needed." He turned around and saluted us.

"Wait!" We called for him.

"What do you mean?" I yelled.

"What do you have on us?" Mae asked, scared.

"I'm going to knock you out, you Old Perverted Fuck!" Leda yelled, fist and all.

Jiraiya didn't care to listen. "See you later, ladies. You can send me your love letters later!"

I didn't have time to react. I was officially an impulse mode and was going to make him pay for ever thinking he could spy on us. "Guys, give me a lift." I demanded.

Without question, they both got beneath me, grabbed a foot and threw me sky high. Jiraiya didn't realize until it was too late as I flew up atop of the fence. "You're going to pay!"

But the momentum and weight of us was too much for the fence. As soon as I tackled Jiraiya, both us and the fence, tumbled to the ground.

It all happened so fast, it took moments to comprehend. Now on the ground, I rubbed my head as I bumped it on something. Leda was dying of laughter behind me.

"What's so funny?" I grumbled until realizing Jiraiya. I plopped in between his legs. He was bellowing in pain as he grabbed his manhood.

"Shit."

There was a breeze that made my body shiver. _What the -_

I looked down to my horror to see that my white towel was nowhere in sight.

Leda was laughing so hard, she was clenching her stomach. "I'm going to pee," she cried.

Turning, I finally realized why she found this so comical. My towel was caught on the piece of fence that remained standing, swaying in the breeze. Mae was silent as she covered her mouth, trying to hide her laughter as well.

"Quorra?" Came a voice from in front of me.

_Fuck, not him. Anyone but him._

Dreadfully turning around, standing before Jiraiya and I, was Kiba. With a towel wrapped around his waist and hair dripping wet. His triangle markings were invisible as his face reddened, yet again.

"Kiba!" Mae said, flustered. The boy she obsessed over was seeing her in her towel.

Akamaru yipped as he jumped off Kiba's head and ran happily into my lap - my very naked lap.

Yelping, I attempted to cover myself. "Wh - what are you doing here?" I squeaked out.

Shino was in the spring, not caring about the commotion. Leda was officially on the ground. The comical/embarrassing scene was too much for her.

Kiba was so flustered he could barely speak. "Kurenai-Sensei, erm, wanted us to have, huh, a relaxing day and sin-ce-ce we have been training hard. I mean, _diligently_, lately..."

Of course, now it made sense why Hinata and Kurenai were in the springs earlier. I should have realized.

"You're right," Jiraiya moaned. He still laid in pain. "I wasn't done with my research."

"Shut up, you Perv!"

Soon enough, Kurenai and Hinata approached the gap in the fence. "What's the commotion about?" Kurenai-Sensei was in her towel.

"Oh my-my gosh! What happened-ed?" Hinata asked.

Ayame came dashing out. Her hair came undone from her bun and the flower that was tucked behind her ear goes flying. "What happened here!?" She screamed in utter shock.

"Quorra broke the fence," Mae said, pointing at me like a child blaming someone else for something she did.

"I did not," I argued.

"She broke my dick, too," Jiraiya groaned.

"I did not!"

Everyone stared at me in silence. No one could wrap their mind around this preposterous situation. Akamaru barked in my lap, wagging his tail. He wanted to be pet but I couldn't with my hands being a little preoccupied.

Now that everyone had a clear picture of my bare ass and flat chest...

"Can someone bring me a towel?"

* * *

**Some people have bad days, then there's Quorra...**

**The student - teacher scene was inspired by my own experience. I went to his office to ask a question when all he wanted to talk about was my Italian heritage and take me to the city to study the foliage *eye roll* (And yes, I ran out of his office) Hope it was entertaining, even though I was scarred and had to look at him everyday for the rest of the year, I find it laughable now.**

**There's always going to be a bad day but like I always like to convince myself... tomorrow is a clean slate, a new day.**

**...**

**xo**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **L-A-N-G-U-A-G-E

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: Invisible Spark**

It was the following day as I sat in class. Yesterday was the most traumatizing string of events endured in a single day. Between Shiri-Sensei asking me out, Kiba along with the others seeing me without a towel, and me head-butting a man's crotch- I was ready to hide under a rock for all eternity.

Shiri-Sensei was droning on about something but for the life of me couldn't concentrate on what. How was I supposed to survive until graduation?

"Quorra."

Leda finally came back to the Academy today; figuring since _my_ luck was so shitty - class couldn't be too bad. She wasn't paying much attention either as she slept in her signature feet-up, arms-crossed pose.

"Quorra."

I just needed to be optimistic. That was all yesterday's news. Slide under the radar until I graduate. Besides it can't get worse than this, could it?

"Quorra!" Shiri-Sensei yelled. His outburst woke Leda up from her slumber.

"Wha-? What happened?" Leda mumbled, a fogged glare hovered over her eyes and a bit of drool hung from her open jaw.

"The answer to the question, Quorra?" Sensei asked impatiently.

"Huh, right," I said. "What was the question?"

The students giggled among their friends. Shiri-Sensei's eye twitched, trying to control his temper which, even his Anger Management class have prayed for, will never happen.

"Quorra, you need to pay attention."

"Sorry," I said, guiltily.

This was when he lost his temper. "Sorry doesn't cut it!" He yelled, slamming his chalkboard eraser on the board with each syllable.

Leda gave me a 'you're-in-deep-shit' look.

"You're in _no_ position to "zone out" with your recent evaluation score!" He air quoted zone out. "Now pay attention!"

Everyone stared at me in silence as I slowly slumped into my chair, trying to hide from the world.

"Dude, I thought you said your evaluation went _well_," Leda whispered.

Mae gave a confused look from across the room.

"Do I make myself clear?" Sensei asked.

I was about to reply, but was cut off when someone charged into the room.

"You! What kind of sensei are you?" Kiba pointed. Akamaru was barking madly.

_Kiba?!_

"Excuse me?" Shiri-Sensei said, not at all amused.

"You heard me!" Kiba growled. "What kind of sensei asks his student on a date!? You sick pervert!"

I shot out of my chair and ran down the aisle. "Shut up!"

"No! I won't! This is fucked up! He's like 50!"

"42!" Shiri-Sensei corrected, like that was the worst of his worries.

"Why, you!" Kiba was about to tackle him, but I'd managed to make it to him before he could.

"Stop, Kiba!" I said, with hands out between him and sensei. "You need to calm down!"

"I'm going to send him to his grave!" he bared his sharp canines.

_Okay, not the answer I was looking for._

"He talked to you about flowers and favorite colors and butterflies and rainbows instead of testing your shinobi skills! And then this perverted baka has the balls to ask you out on a date! I would have ran away screaming too!" Kiba spilled in one breath.

"Shut your mouth or I'll send _you_ to the graves!" I argued, adrenaline icing my veins.

"No! I'm going to make this low life sack of Siberian sheep shit wish he was never born!" Trying charge at Shiri-Sensei, I struggled to hold him back. His arms pin-wheeled, screaming, "Let me at him! Let me at him!"

Akamaru jumped off Kiba's head and proceeded to chomp down on sensei's ankle leaving sensei howling in pain.

The classroom was in an uproar. No one knew what to do. I didn't know what to do! As the unstoppable inferno seemed to go on forever, the only force that could quiet everyone entered the room. The last person I expected to be here.

Everyone froze in their tracks, including Kiba's turbine limbs, as Kakashi stepped into the room. Kakashi was wordless as he approached Shiri-sensei's desk who was silent as well, even with sharp puppy teeth chomping on his ankle. Sensei looked apprehensive, _I_ was apprehensive.

Staring him down with one visible eye, Kakashi grabbed the stem of the Blue Ribbon/ half-dead plant and ripped it out of its pot. A web of roots and clumped dirt along with it.

"My jasmine!" Shiri-Sensei sobbed as Kakashi threw it on the ground and casually walked out of the classroom.

Awestruck, I unfroze from my mid-defensive pose and followed after Kakashi. I caught up as Kiba, Leda, Mae, and Akamaru were not far behind.

"Did that really happen?" Mae asked. Not sure if she meant sensei asking me out or the whole shit show just now.

"Yeah, that's fucking happened and he's going to pay for it." Kiba was still heated up.

"I knew sensei was a class-A slime ball but I didn't think he would actually try something. I thought he was one of those closeted school girl porn readers." Leda said.

"He's gone too far!" Kiba said, harshly.

"I can never show my face anywhere near the Academy again," I moaned, hanging my head in defeat.

Kiba kept throwing a fit as Mae tried to calm him.

I upped my step to catch up to Kakashi. "Kakashi, why were you at the Academy? I didn't even know Team Seven came back from their mission in the Land of the Waves."

"We just came back this morning," Kakashi explained. "I was just checking up on you and overheard what happened."

Who couldn't have heard Kiba spilling my secrets? He couldn't have been louder if he had a megaphone. But the autotrophic act that caused a sickening cry from Shiri-Sensei touched my heart. Who knew how it would have ended if Kakashi didn't intervene.

"Thank you," I murmured, feeling stupid that the situation even got down to that.

Kakashi gave me a sideway glance with his visible eye. "Anytime."

We made our way to the courtyard while Kiba still made threats. "I'm going to chop his head off and shit down his neck!"

"Kiba! That's really not necessary," Mae scolded.

Kiba ignored her. "What are we going to do now? Tell the Hokage? Leave a stink bomb at that bastard's doorstep?"

Giving Leda a desperate look, she understood. "Come on, Dog boy," Leda grabbed the crook of Kiba's arm. "Let's cool you down."

Kiba, however, didn't. "Wait! No! Let go with me! That bastard must pay! Quorra! Quorra!" He screamed and kicked as Leda dragged him, roughly, in the dirt. A prisoner would have been treated more lightly.

"Be careful with him!" Mae yelled as she followed the dust trail.

Akamaru stood at my feet. His head was cocked with concern but, as always, a happy little guy.

"Go ahead boy. I'm fine."

With that, Akamaru yipped with joy and dashed away towards his boisterous owner.

* * *

Kakashi and I met up with Team Seven. Apparently since getting back from the Land of the Waves, they had a few D-ranked missions around the village to do.

"They should be finishing up now," Kakashi said.

I was excited to see the trio again given it had been weeks since I've seen them last. Especially after everything that's happened recently, it will be nice to be around stable people. When I finally saw them, Sasuke and Sakura were assisting Naruto to walk. Naruto was covered in bruises and soot.

"I thought they were doing D-ranked missions?" I asked Kakashi, skeptically. He gave a shrug.

Either way, I was glad to see them and ran to greet them.

"Look at you, Naruto. You're hopeless," Sakura said.

"You're just one big problem," Sasuke smirked.

"Hey guys! Long time no see!" I waved cheerfully.

Naruto was pissed at his teammates. He ripped out of their grasps, grunting. "Sasuke!"

He was about to lunge at his teammate, but Sakura put an arm out to stop him. "If you keep this up, I'll finish you off myself!" She threatened.

"And besides," Sakura added. "You're the one who took the dog into an active mine field!"

"The dog dragged me there, okay!" Naruto fought back.

Kakashi sighed in defeat. "I guess we're not making a lot of progress on the whole teamwork thing."

"That's right," Naruto said with his fist out. "Our teamwork is all messed up and it's all because of you, Sasuke! You think you're better than everyone else."

"Not everyone," Sasuke said with a smirk. "Just you. Face it, I'm better and stronger than you are. It's a fact unless you can prove me wrong."

Sasuke and Naruto stood at a standoff. Naruto was growling like a rabid dog while Sasuke remained calm with his hands in his pockets.

Sakura tugged on her long, pink hair with frustration. "They're actually getting along worse than before, if that's possible."

I dropped my hand that was still in mid-wave.

"Did something happen at the Land of the Waves?" I asked Sakura.

She sighed angrily. "Don't ask."

I didn't as Naruto and Sasuke still stood face-to-face. Naruto was impulsive and a loose cannon but that's the ordinary. Sasuke, however, looked tense. He was trying to keep his cool demeanor but something was eating at him.

Kakashi wasn't paying any mind as he stared nonchalantly at an eagle in the sky while holding his book that was always glued to him.

_That's strange_, I thought, staring at the bird of prey.

"Alright guys," Kakashi said, tired. "Let's just call it a day. You can beat each other to a pulp some other time. Anyway, I have to file my reports on this mission."

With that, Kakashi disappeared.

"Whatever, I'm out of here," Sasuke said as he walked away.

"Sasuke, wait!" Sakura dashed after him. "We should –," she stumbled. "We should, huh, let's do something more personal. I mean to improve our teamwork that is."

She wore a huge smile, Sasuke did not. "I swear you are worse than Naruto. Instead of flirting, why don't you practice your jutsu to make the team stronger?"

I stood by Naruto, shaking my head in disappointment. _I swear, that kid is awful at times._

Naruto didn't approve Sasuke's comment either. "Don't worry about Sakura. We can develop our teamwork all day!"

_And Naruto doesn't make it any better._

A shifting sound caught my attention when a horribly disguised rock shuffled towards us.

"A rock?" Naruto gave it a questioning look as he scratched his head, not sure what to make of it. After a few moments to comprehend his thoughts, "That's the worst disguise of all time! Rocks aren't square!"

I bestowed him a look of disbelief. _That's what made you think it was fake? The rock has eye holes!_ I facepalmed appropriately.

"You saw through my disguise again! You're slick Boss, just like I would expect from my greatest rival."

_The fake rock talked..._

The disguise disappeared as three kids popped out, coughing. "I think we used too much gunpowder," Konohamaru said through coughs.

Soon enough the other two introduced themselves. The girl with the red, high pigtails was Moegi and the shy, snot-nosed boy was Udon.

"We're the greatest shinobi in preschool!" They declared.

Naruto placed his hands behind his head nonchalantly. "Yeah, I knew as you Konohamaru."

I called him out on his BS. "You did not."

"Did too!" Naruto yelled. _I swear I don't know whose worse, Kiba or Naruto._

Konohamaru recognized me. "Hey! You're Quorra. Guys this is the girl who saved me from that mean bully. She's my hero!"

I smiled at the rambunctious boy. "It was no problem, Konohamaru. She was being a big meany."

Konohamaru kept bragging. "She was so cool! She punched the girl right here," pointing to his cheek, "and she went _flying_!"

I rubbed the back of my head with guilt. "Well, it didn't exactly happen like that..."

"I saved all the Hidden Mist villagers from a crazy assassin," Naruto said, jealously. "I was a huge hero. They even named the bridge they were building after me!"

"Naruto, do you always have to pretend to be better than everyone else when you're not?" Sakura asked. She approached us with her head down and shoulders slumped, still hurt by Sasuke's harsh words. I patted her back with sympathy, giving Sasuke a dirty look. He shrugged, unconcerned.

"Hey, Boss," Konohamaru asked. "What's the big forehead girl's problem?"

Sakura jolted under my helping hand, staring at the boy with demon eyes. Her teeth grinding worse than a beaver gnawing on wood.

"Oh, Sakura?" Naruto asked, giddily. He laughed awkwardly, trying to find the right words. "She's my, I mean. She's well, huh, you see-."

Konohamaru, the eight-year-old, drew his own conclusion. "Oh, I see." He wiggled his eyebrows. "She's your girl_friend_."

That made situation with Sakura even worse.

Naruto laughed as if agreeing. "You can tell she's really crazy about me."

Sakura couldn't take it anymore. All the sadness from rejection and anger built up. "I'm going to skin you both."

"Bad big forehead lady!" Moegi said pointing at the crazed Sakura.

"Yeah, Boss. Tell your girlfriend to cool it."

"That's it!" Sakura yelled.

Sasuke obviously overlooked the entire situation and walked away without a goodbye.

As the chase commenced, I followed Sasuke and left the kids and Naruto to Sakura's wrath. _I'm too wrapped up in my own shit to deal with this today._

It was easy to catch up with Sasuke. He had a signature cool and collective walk. I, however, thought it was turtle speed. "So much for wanting to be around stable people," I grumbled, unsatisfied.

Sasuke ignored my statement and kept walking.

"Hey, what's the matter?" I asked.

"Nothing," Sasuke said.

"Cut the bullshit. Your brooding meter is off the charts. Something's eatin' you."

Sasuke grunted. "Must you be annoying too?"

"That's my job," I said with a smirk. "Now spill it."

He sighed. "Fine. I developed the first stage of Sharingan while fighting on my last mission."

Sasuke had told me about his Sharingan, a kekkei genkai of the Uchiha clan. The bloodline trait that turned his dark onyx irises to red. There were three stages, each representing an additional tomoe that swam in his sea of red.

The ability allowed an Uchiha to read an opponent's chakra and predict their movements before they had a chance to perform it. It gave an Uchiha the upper hand, a step in front. It made them a mage.

His family would have been proud of him even though Sasuke was adamant, believing they held high expectations. He told me his brother activated his sharingan at the age of six. His parents thought his brother was the protégée in the family. Too bad they would never see their son's next milestone as a shinobi.

His parents, along with the rest of the Uchiha clan, were murdered in a grand massacre. It happened long ago, before I was around. Sasuke was very young, too young to have witnessed something like that. He was the only Uchiha to survive solely because he was late to dinner. Too busy practicing his shuriken throwing.

That was all he had told me. As much as I itched to know more, I knew asking questions was pointless. He told me all that willingly as it was.

It was fucked up. So fucked up. Twisted. When he confessed one random afternoon subsequently after a particularly good sparring match, I finally understood why he was glooming all the time and what he meant by wanting revenge. Even if I still didn't know on who.

I didn't know why Sasuke talked about his past with me, even to this day. He doesn't to anyone else. But, if I had to guess, it was because of what we had in common, Sasuke and I. We were both family-less.

"That's great," I congratulated.

"Is it?" Sasuke asked, more angrily than questioningly.

"Of course. That means you're getting stronger."

"But I need to be stronger than this. I'm supposed to be processed farther than this." Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed, his fists clenched.

"You _are_ strong. And you're growing stronger every day… But you need to stop insulting Naruto and Sakura," I said sternly.

"They're weak, annoying, and troublesome."

"They're your _teammates,_ Sasuke. You work together. We _all _work to grow stronger together. Didn't you learn anything from Kakashi?" I tried to keep my temper at bay.

Sasuke snorted. He didn't believe me.

We heard girls screaming Sasuke's name in the distance and instinctively held hands. We still vouched our deal, our one-on-one practice time in exchange of me holding his hand whenever any hint of muliebrity approached. But based on the fluentness of our actions, maybe we're just so used to it, the deal didn't matter. It became second nature to us.

"I wish my teammates were more like you, Quorra. Your dedication to improve even when you had nothing. All Naruto does is brag and Sakura just follows me like a lost puppy."

I understood what Sasuke meant. Naruto… well Naruto was Naruto. A hyperactive, knuckleheaded ninja. Sakura had the problem of putting love over training. Both have flaws but, they were both gifted and special… even if they were deeply hidden. "Sometimes the troublesome ones are the ones you have to look out for," I warned with a friendly punch.

Sasuke didn't answer, but instead stopped in his tracks. "Something's wrong."

"What is-," but before I could finish, Sasuke pulled my hand and we vanished…

…atop of a tree branch.

"…it…" I finished.

We sat on the branch overlooking Sakura, Naruto, and the kids, but two others were there as well. One was a girl with four blonde pigtails. She wore a wrapped dress with fishnet on the shoulders and thighs. The other was a guy in all black. He had a weird cat-eared looking hood with even weirder purple facial markings. They weren't from around here as they didn't possess the leaf village insignia. Their engravings depicted an hourglass shaped "i". It was something I have never seen before. Where did they come from?

The strange boy was holding Konohamaru by the scruff of his neck and scarf. Everyone looked panicky, especially Moegi and Udon. The marked man was pulling his arm back to lay a punch. Naruto was charging to stop him.

"Konohamaru!" I yelled.

In a flash of an eye, something hit the persecutor's hand causing him to drop Konohamaru. As he growled, grasping his injured hand, I realized what happened. _Sasuke._

"You're a long way from home and you're way out of your league." Sasuke juggled a small rock in his hand.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled with joy.

Konohamaru recuperated quickly and scurried behind the others.

"And Quorra, too!" Moegi and Udon yelled.

The foreigner rubbed his wrist. "Oh great, another wimp to tick me off."

"Get lost," Sasuke warned, using his chakra control to squeeze the rock to dust.

The girls, including the alien girl, swooned over Sasuke's act of bravery.

"Why can't you be cool like that?" Konohamaru yelled at Naruto. Naruto's face instantly turned red.

The boy who looked like he played in purple paint didn't find it amusing. "Why don't you come down here? You're the type of pesky little snot I hate the most. All attitude and nothing to back it up," he said as he took a wrapped mass off his shoulders.

His accomplice looked shocked by his actions. "What? Are you going to use the Crow for this?"

Whatever she was scared off, it mustn't be good. I leaned forward on the branch to get a closer look. The mystery object stood chest high with a crop of hair on top. It was heavily wrapped in strips of linen, a mummified bloated cylindrical.

_Is that thing human?_

But before finding my answer, I lost my balance and fell off the branch. My eyes squeezed shut and braced for an impact but stopped mid-air. Instead of smashing into the ground, Sasuke instinctively grabbed my foot at the last second. I was hanging by a thread, or rather, a foot. The blood was rushing to my head but I managed to give Sasuke a thumbs up. "Thanks for that."

He welcomed me with a smirk.

"Kankuro, back off," spoke a voice.

Sasuke and I stared at each other wide-eyed. The source came from someone new, a boy who hung upside down on the opposite side of the tree. His better chakra control allowed him to "stick" to the branch, like a bat.

_I didn't even sense his presence. How long has he been hanging there? _Sasuke must be thinking the same thing as his face mimicked mine.

The new guy ignored us and continued to reprimand the boy who he called Kankuro. "You're an embarrassment to our village."

"Oh. Hey, Gaara," Kankuro smiled guilty. He didn't look right. His smile faulted, his eyes looked scared. Kankuro appeared like a mouse in an open field, preparing for an owl to swoop down.

The predator who hung besides me had short red hair paired with a red outfit. He carried a giant gourd on his back. "Have you forgotten the whole reason why we're here?"

"I – I – I know," Kankuro babbled, his tongue failing to make proper speech. "They challenged us. Here's what happened-."

"Shut up," Gaara interrupted. "Or I'll kill you."

Everyone was set on edge. Gaara threw his threat to kill with ease even to his own teammates. Empathy for others wasn't in his manual.

"You're right. You're right. I was totally, _totally_ out of line. I'm sorry Gaara."

Gaara glanced over Kankuro's pleas. A squire who didn't bother with his bumbling servant. "I'm sorry for any trouble he might have caused," Gaara said to Sasuke.

He turned to face my flaying self. He looked young, as young as Sasuke and the others. His porcelain doll skin permeated a tattoo located above his brow bone, where his brows would be with the common theme of red. There was an evil look in his dark lined eyes. His eyes were…

_…__green. Pupil-less green eyes._

They stared at me with scrutiny; bore into my soul. Pierced the veil of nightmares that haunted me. The thought of the Unknown chilled me to the core. After all of this time, the eyes had a face. The face, a name. But nothing clicked.

_Who in the world is he?_

* * *

**Kiba opened his big mouth and threatened to kill Quorra's Sensei. He's not going to win any friendship brownie points with that one. And Gaara finally debuts into the story *cheers* Did anyone else predict it was Gaara who Quorra saw in her nightmares? Can it really be him?**

**_"Boy, I am two seconds from being on you like white on rice in a glass of milk on a paper plate in a snowstorm. I'm gonna put my foot so far up your ass, the water on my knee will quench your thirst." - Movie, Major Payne (1995)_**

**...**

**XO**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Langua- actually language isn't too bad in this chapter. Well, shit.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One: Jolly Rancher is My Favorite Too**

"Alright, it is time to choose our candidates for the Chunin Examinations," the Third Hokage announced to a full room of sensei. "To begin, those who are in charge of the rookie genin step forward."

Three sensei replied and stepped forward.

"Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma. What do you say? Are there any in your squad you recommend are ready for the exams despise their experience? It's up to you to decide whether they are too inexperienced to attempt such an exam."

The three sensei nodded agreeably.

"Kakashi, begin."

"I lead Squad Seven. Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki. I, Kakashi Hatake, recommend all three of these genin for the chunin selection exams."

The others sensei exchanged glances, but no one said anything. Certainly it was just a fluke that all three were nominated.

"My squad is number eight," Kurenai began. "Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame. And I, Kurenai Yuuki, recommend all three."

"And my squad is number ten. Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi. And now I, Asuma Saratobi, recommend all three."

Whispers erupted in the room, sensei shocked and bewildered by the overwhelming nominations. This had never been done before— to have this many eligible rookies who were recent graduates. The Hokage wore a look of curiosity.

"Hold on! Just a minute," Iruka interrupted.

"Yes. What is it, Iruka?" The Third asked.

The three jonin faced Iruka as he spoke, not shocked by his interruption. "Lord Hokage, with all respect, the nine names that were just given were all my students at the Academy. I know all their skills and abilities. Every one of them has great promise, but it's too soon. They need more experience before they are tested. If they try now, they will for sure fail the exam."

"When I became a chunin, I was six years younger than Naruto is now," Kakashi interjected.

"Naruto isn't anything like you, Kakashi!"

Kakashi said the last thing that was on anyone's mind, out of the blue. "I would also like to nominate Quorra to compete in the Chunin Exams."

An eruption of whispers broke out, growing steadily louder. It was causing an uproar.

"Isn't that the girl Kakashi found a few months ago?" Someone whispered to a fellow Sensei.

"Yeah, she's the girl who lost her memory and hasn't gotten it back."

"How can she compete!?" Someone yelled.

"Yeah!" joined another. "She's been here for some time, but how could she be trusted?"

"Was Kakashi doing this to piss off Iruka? It seems to be working."

Iruka grew furious, furious even for him. "Quorra can't compete! She didn't even graduate from the Academy. What are you thinking, Kakashi?"

"She left the Academy for _personal_ reasons." Kakashi was boiling. He never lost his temper. "Doesn't mean she still can't graduate. She attended and completed all the work and didn't miss enough classes to technically fail."

"That's exactly what means. She can't graduate. It's too late for her! Besides, she's too immature. She got into a fight and detention after the first week. This village needs leaders not more people to cause a mess!" Iruka was livid. He didn't understand how Kakashi could be this clueless nor understand why he was so committed to this preposterous idea.

Fellow sensei nodded and spoke whispers of agreement. It seemed that Iruka had made a valid point and a decision was already made.

"That fight was to protect my grandson," the Third interrupted. His leadership voice boomed, carrying it throughout the room. "Now he can't stop parading around calling her his hero."

"Exactly." Kakashi said. "As the Great Hokage said, she may be rough around the edges, but she has impacted the lives of others and been called a hero by many. Sure, she doesn't have memory of her past but she has defended this village and treated it as her home. Who would we be if we didn't at least give her the chance she properly deserves?"

A lot was spoken from Kakashi, a guy who usually hung back in the side-lines. Sensei all around seemed to be rattled by Kakashi's words. Some were not as sure as they were before. Kurenai gave Kakashi a supportive pat on the shoulder.

"I agree," Asuma said. "She protected my nephew. She deserves a chance."

"But these exams can destroy them and _will_ destroy Quorra," Iruka argued.

"Iruka, you have made your point. I understand," the Third said. "Accordingly, I have made a decision about what to do with the rookies _and_ what to do about Quorra."

* * *

Today was a perfect day as I walked back from the marketplace, where I grabbed a few things for the apartment. It was a comfortable temperature, mid-70s with the wind gently blowing— a cloudless, sunshine day. The type of day to get lost in a book while laying in the field for hours. It was blissful; too bad my mood didn't mimic it.

I never went back to class after that disastrous scene with Shiri-Sensei, weeks ago. The whole situation, starting with the 'evaluation', went out of control. The others only made it worse. Kiba screaming, threatening. Kakashi destroying plants, threatening. Me running out of the classroom, ashamed.

How could I turn something like that around? Prove that I was a good student who only wished to become a shinobi. Shiri-Sensei already gave me a bad evaluation and with my friends attacking, biting and revealing that he really was a pervert, I would fail for sure.

It was too late anyway. The class already went through with graduation. Mae graduated at the top of the class with an almost perfect score. It wasn't surprising. She was a genius— despite how clueless she could be at times. Books and hard cold facts were her ally. Leda even managed to squeeze her way through to graduation. I suspected Shiri-Sensei didn't want to deal with the girl one second longer than he had to.

I was happy for them— proud that they got to wear their head protectors with pride, but it did sting. I wished I could have joined them, wished I got the chance to prove myself. As disappointing as the circumstances were and how disappointed I was in _myself_, it wasn't stopping me from trying again next year.

Their graduation was a nice ceremony; watching family and friends smile for the new shinobi was touching. Everyone was eager to learn who will be assigned as their teammates. It was announced that teams were to be formed shortly after graduation which was any day now.

I knew this because I _did_ attend graduation, hidden in the back, blending into the crowd. I wouldn't miss this important milestone for them, but I have been distant and not just at graduation. These past few weeks, I've been pushing everyone away. No Leda nor Mae, no Kiba and no Team Seven. Leda stopped living in my apartment and moved in with Mae. Probably because she couldn't stand my pointless stare into nothingness anymore. The routine training with Sasuke has been put on halt as well as ramen munching with Naruto and shopping with Sakura.

They have tried to cheer me up, everyone. Even with their sweetest gestures, they weren't the blame for my funk and, therefore, couldn't be the ones to fix it. It was my own fault meaning it was something I had to sort out on my own. Feeling like a failure with school was a big part of it, but it was more than that.

It had been almost eight months since awakening and I still don't know anything. The doctors said my memory should come back in chucks over time, but I was just as clueless as day one. Constantly, I thought of different scenarios about where I came from; who I was. Who was my family? Did I even have a family? Where were they? Were they worried about me? I told myself to stop hoping as it would only lead to more disappointment.

I haven't gone to the doctors as frequent ever since the Hokage allowed me to stay. It has been too much frustration— doing the same routine. Doctors ask how I was doing, if I got any memory back, do the same blood tests, etc. They still didn't understand why my blood was black, the unidentified enzyme was still that, unknown.

I haven't abandoned my training. Like I said, I was still determined to succeed next year. I've been training on my own in taijutsu and cloning. Shadow clones had become a breeze for me now. It finally seemed to click, tapping into my chakra, or lack of.

I thanked meditation. Since being a loner, I've had a lot of time to think. The mediation every morning in the fields hidden from view were where I stopped saying 'I don't know' and more 'I do know'. I've learned a lot about myself through the silence, and I was thankful.

Training also included working on _that_ jutsu. The justu that I considered forbidden. My fire jutsu I developed while fighting James. The pain of first using it still haunted me. Burning in my veins, engraved into my mind. I didn't know what it was or how I survived and was frightened of it. Slowly, I was able to accept it and thanks to mediation again, able to mold it into a technique. Even if it was resourceful, it was only to be used as a last resort. I couldn't ignore another way to protect myself, to protect others.

At nights, my nightmares were still that— nightmares. The correlation with green pupil-less eyes and the color red was apparent. Different, but had a common theme. The awakening screams still occur despite how used to the routine I was. Kakashi always stumbled in to check on me, even though he knew he didn't have to.

And every night I thought about that boy. The one who hung upside on the tree, telling his teammates to stop bothering the Konoha shinobi— Gaara. The way he said it was threatening, menacing, like he would kill them. He _even _said he would and it didn't sound like an open-ended bluff. He was intimating for sure. How much more was still unknown about him? He must be, without a doubt, strong. His own teammates wouldn't be scared of him if he wasn't.

But it would be stupid of me not to think there was a correlation, right? The months I've been here, his eyes were the only ones that seemed to be the same as my dreams'. His pupil-less eyes trimmed with black, making them even more menacing. He was frightening and that was only the first encounter, but there was something else. Gaara's eyes were almost hypnotizing, begging me to yearn for more.

Even so, I couldn't back away from a possible lead. Even if it killed me, I had to at least try and talk to him. Maybe he knew who I was, but I haven't seen him, nor his teammates since. I haven't seen anyone.

Until Konohamaru popped up in front of me, disrupting my train of thought. "There you are Quorra! I was looking everywhere for you!" The boy said with a toothy grin.

"Oh, hey there, Konohamaru. What's up?"

"Here," Konohamaru said, handing me a slip of paper. "Someone wanted you to read it."

_For me? _I opened it to read:

**I want the Leader's grandson**

It struck a horrid chord in me. "Konohamaru, did you read this?" I asked. Chills ran down my spine.

"Nope! He gave me extra candy if I didn't read it. I don't mind though. It's probably just a sappy love letter." He proceeded to unwrap a lollipop and stuck it in his mouth.

"Let me get this straight. A _stranger_ bribed you with candy and you _took _it?" My mouth hung open, disturbed by the thought. I wanted to shake whatever part of his brain that thought that was a smart idea.

"But its Jolly Rancher flavored, my favorite." Konohamaru repeatedly pulled the lollipop out of his mouth, satisfied by the _pop_ sound. "He also wanted you to read this." Konohamaru handed another slip over.

Hesitant, I opened the letter:

**Behind you**

Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. "Konohamar-"

I grabbed the boy and ran as there was an explosion. We were far enough to not be killed, but not far enough as the blast sent us flying. We soared towards a ditch and tumbled to the bottom. The bumpy ride left me seeing stars. Konohamaru lied still feet away from me.

I scrabbled to the boy. "Konohamaru!"

He was unconscious. His lollipop hung from his open mouth.

A man approached us. He had dark features, Mediterranean skin with dark blue eyes and wavy shoulder-length hair. Scruff covered his angular jaw. He was handsome, but a wolf.

"What do you want? Who are you?" I demanded, caressing the boy in my arms.

The Mediterranean chuckled, even that was handsome. Light, yet masculine. "Isn't it obvious? I'm here for the boy." His smile was alluring. White pearly teeth shined against his golden skin. "To blackmail the Hokage into giving me what I want."

"But why now when Konohamaru was practically in your grasps before? I'm not stupid. Why wait?"

The intruder smiled and in a flash was gone. I rose quickly with Konohamaru in my arms but it was too late. He was behind us. His chest was practically again my back.

"You got me. I was looking for you, my dear," he whispered practically on my ear. His warm breath made the hair on my body stick on end.

He rose his knuckle blades and sliced Konohamaru and I in two as the image of us warped into a log. Split timber fell to the ground. I was able to substitute us a few hundred yards away. The woods were just in reach and dashed for cover, Konohamaru gosling in my arms. There was an old tree that showed signs of slow rot. There was a hole large enough to hide Konohamaru in.

Gently resting him, his eyes scrunched. "Q-Quorra?" He choked out. "What's happening?"

"Shh. It's okay, everything is fine," I reassured with a pat on the head. "Just stay here and stay hidden."

He had a look of freight in his eyes, before he had a chance to refuse, I ran off.

I needed to gain as much distance as I could. Primal instinct prevented me from thinking clearly—didn't even have a chance to think why the invader was looking for me, nor if he was from my forgotten past.

Because he had already found me.

"Impressive," he said. "Not many genin can perform a double substitution."

"I'm not a genin," I replied, disappointed. Saying it aloud stung. "I learned to substitute at the Academy." I failed to mention that that completely drained me. Light-headedness was intruding my conscious— running solely on adrenaline.

"And the boy managed to escape. No need, you were the one I was after anyway." He pulled out his knuckle blades and attacked. The deep ragged grooves could easily cut through me if I wasn't careful.

All I carried in my weapons pouch was a single kunai knife. He swung his blades as I ducked to dodge them. A knee dug into my chest, as a counter measure, knocking the breath out of me.

I slumped to the ground as he took both knives and thrust them downwards. It would have been an instant kill if I didn't roll out of the way in time. My arms were thrown above my head and with my legs, sprung up onto my feet once more.

We continued to spar and tried to defend myself but the odds were against me. He had two blades compared to my one. It was now a mental note to pack more damn knives. With only one weapon, there were only so many options. If I used another substitution technique, I knew I was done for. But, I won't refer to my fire technique, not yet.

We sparred as I slowly backed myself away from him. Soon enough he had me barricaded against a tree. A wave a panic set in. But in my weapons pouch, I had something else that could help me. I've had this on me ever since attacking the guard who watched the amphitheater during my mission months before when all I had was my burgundy leather jacket. I had a plan.

"The road has ended for you, my dear." He was about to swing as I kneed him in the groan and crawled between his legs.

Too preoccupied with his manhood issues, I pushed him square in the back with my feet. His head hit against the tree, dizzying him. In my pouch, I pulled a hefty nylon cord and ran wildly around the tree, trapping him. I tied it off and stood in front of him.

"I didn't do such a bad job, if I do say so myself," patting myself on the back.

He smiled at me, even with his misfortunes. "Yeah, not bad… for an _Academy_ student," he spoke. My face twisted but didn't correct him.

He pulled on the thin, but strong rope as it dug into his arms. "But that kick was a low blow."

I shrugged. "It's become my signature move," thinking back to when the giant, Caesar, got the same treatment. Jiraiya did as well, at the springs, even if that was an accident.

"Let's try this again," I began, resting my kunai again the base of his throat. "Who are you? And what do you want with me?"

There was no look of concern on his face as his blue gems stared at me. "I wouldn't be too worried about me," he gestured.

I frowned, "And, why not?"

He smirked. "Behind you."

My neurons were on high alert again. There was another presence. The distraction was all the fighter needed. His arms were pinned tight, but his legs had some leeway. He dropped one of his blades to his foot. His chakra control was strong enough to concentrate to his foot, holding the blade there. With a mighty kick, the weapon was released and torpedoed towards me.

I noticed at the last second as the realization reached my face. But, my guard was dropped, it was too late.

* * *

**Kakashi made the bold move nominating Quorra, the ex-Academy student. Iruka wasn't for it, to say the least, but would the others and more importantly, the Hokage, approve of it? Quorra played the hero once again as an unknown man, a handsome wolf, as she described him, attacked her. What does he want with her? Does he know her? Does Quorra stand a chance? At least Konohamaru got some candy...**

**...**

**XO**

**I was eating a Jolly Rancher lollipop while writing this chapter. Thanks for the inspiration JR**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **You know the drill.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Above Dark Days**

With a mighty kick, the blade soared towards me. I noticed at the last second as the realization reached my face. But, my guard was dropped, it was too late…

… Or so he thought.

The blade embedded into the log, dropping with a heavy thud, as I sequentially reappeared behind the second intruder, knife positioned against his jugular vein. "Don't move a muscle," I warned. "One movement and you're dead."

The threatened man didn't react the way I hoped. He gave an exhausted sigh. "You shouldn't have done that cheap shot," he told the man tied up. "You could have seriously hurt her."

A thought instantaneously entered my mind. _Why did the voice sound so familiar?_

I used my will-power to focus on the man in front of me, despite the overwhelming fatigue. The knife shook in my hand. I went too far with that last substitution, performing the technique more times than I could handle. I was barely capable of standing.

He was in a typical shinobi uniform. His hair was brown and pulled into a ponytail. I suddenly recognized his voice from the time he yelled at Leda and myself for fighting at the Academy and lectured about public safety.

"Iruka-Sensei?"

"I was just returning the favor," the man tied to the tree suggested. "Besides, you told me you wanted to test her."

"Test me? What's going on? Iruka-Sensei, who is this man," I slurred.

"Quorra, it's alright. You can put your knife away."

I hesitantly followed his orders as it stayed idle by my side.

"Maybe she wouldn't be doomed after all," Iruka-Sensei said under his breath.

"Excuse me?" I served him a plate full of attitude despite being light-headed— was not feeling the secrecy.

"Go to Lord Hokage's office. He will explain everything to you there."

"Wait!" I yelled, but it was too late, Iruka disappeared without ever turning to meet my gaze. The rope around the tree slacked as the other guy vanished as well.

Words couldn't even begin to comprehend what just happened as I crumbled to the ground, both from mental and physical exhaustion.

"What the actual fuck."

* * *

By the time I gathered enough strength to drag myself to the Hokage's office, it was almost nightfall.

"Come in," the Hokage called as I opened the door. By nature, there was a stack of papers on his desk as he worked diligently.

"What can I help you with, Quorra? For once, I didn't summon you," he softly smiled at the joke.

_I wish I knew why myself. _"Iruka-Sensei sent me. At least, I think it was Iruka. Someone was trying to kidnap Konohamaru but then he's all like 'I'm here for you my dear'."

My voice rose from the built up of anxiety and confusion. "And he attacked me! But I tied him to a tree! And I was like Ha-Ha take that bitc-! Oh-oh Sir, I mean sir. Take that sir! Then Iruka-Sensei popped out of nowhere and was like 'go to the Hokage'." I mimicked his demanding voice.

"I didn't know what was happening. Why Iruka-Sensei was talking to the guy who attacked me!" Breaths turned into huffs from going through word vomit. "I'm so confused Hokage-Sama," I mumbled in defeat.

The Third scratched his small pointed beard, pondering. "I see. Well, thank you for reporting this, Quorra. Shinobi rule number seven is to report any and all possible threats after all."

"Actually, Hokage-sama, sir. That's rule number fourteen. Rule number seven is to follow orders to the end no matter what." I shifted uncomfortably in my spot.

_I should learn to keep my big mouth shut. Don't correct the Hokage, you dumby!_

The Hokage didn't take offense. "That's right. This old mind must be playing tricks on me again." He rose from his desk and walked over to the windows, admiring his village. "Tell me about the attacker?" I explained in details about our brawl.

"Did he use any techniques?" he asked.

Shaking my head, "No, but he shot one of his knuckle blades at me with his foot."

The Hokage looked confused. "How'd he do that?"

"He molded chakra to the bottom of his foot so he could 'grasp' the blade, so to speak."

"I see," he said. "Hmm, must be pretty strong then."

"It just means he was able to extract physical energy from his cells and spiritual energy from his consciousness and mix them together within his body." I gave Hokage-sama a weird stare.

"Right. Any shinobi can do that."

"Well, not everyone, Hokage-sama. If a shinobi creates too much or too little chakra for a given technique, the chakra could be used inefficiently and the technique or jutsu wouldn't work. Hokage-sama, are you feeling—"

"What techniques did you use, Quorra?" he impeded.

_Something wasn't right here. Why is he asking such odd questions?_

"The Body Replacement Technique," I responded, hesitant. "I was taught it at the Academy."

"What are the signs?"

"Tiger, Boar, Ox, Dog, Snake."

"What do they represe—"

"Protection, bravery, strength, loyalty, secrecy" I rattled off. "Hokage-sama, what's going on? You're asking strange questions when I was attacked here! Who knows where that guy could be now?!"

The Hokage looked shocked by my out-of-line outburst but then looked pleased. "Quorra, my child. There is nothing to worry about. No one is after you."

"What do you mean?" I blinked wit befuddlement. "He used a paper bomb on me!"

The Hokage nodded at the door. "Alright, everyone. You can enter now."

_Everyone?_

I turn to see a yellow-headed ninja opening the door and rushing in. "Wahoo! Did Quorra do it, Old Man!?" Naruto jumped with glee.

"Keep it down you idiot!" Sakura quieted with a shove.

"Cool it, Naruto," Sasuke groaned, dragging his feet into the room.

Mae and Leda followed in after. "Hi, Quorra," Mae smiled and gave a small wave.

Leda gave greet-filled dirty look. "Sup, Quarter."

To further my confusion, Kiba and Akamaru were even here. The energetic pup leapt into my arms. Kiba was happy to see me too. "Long time no see!"

Last to enter was Kakashi. He was silent as he closed and joined the group. Everyone was smiling like they had a secret. Well, except Kakashi, known for being expressionless.

"What's going on?" No longer taking this. "Why is everyone here?"

"Let me explain," the Hokage began. "During the nomination ceremony for the Chunin Examination, Kakashi nominated his team, which was shocking enough, but he also thought you should be nominated."

_Kakashi did what? _"But I'm not even a genin," I interrupted.

Lord Hokage rose his hand to silence me. "Kakashi thought it wasn't fair that you weren't properly tested to become a genin because of, erm, circumstances."

The reminder still left a sour taste in my mouth. The secret that wasn't so much of a secret anymore left everyone in the room with mixed emotions. Kiba's face twisted with anger.

"So… You—" I began.

"We tested you," came from a voice behind me.

I turned to see it was, "Iruka-Sensei?" Akamaru, who was still in my arms, growled.

"Let me explain." Iruka said. "When Kakashi and the other Sensei told Lord Hokage that they wanted to nominate their students into the Chunin exams, I thought that there was no way. I've had all the rookies as my students and didn't think they were experienced enough."

"And so you tested us through a disguise and we kicked your ass, believe it!" Naruto exclaimed. Sakura gave a blow to the top of his head to shut him up.

Iruka-Sensei continued. "I told them you, most of all, weren't qualified to the Chunin exams. I thought you were too immature, let alone not being a graduate, but Kakashi and Lord Hokage saw something in you, something they didn't want to ignore so I tested you as well and I got to admit," Iruka scratched his forehead, looking ashamed. "I was too quick to off you. You show great promise. I shouldn't have judged you so harshly."

The confession hit me like a ton of bricks. "What about Mae and Leda?"

"Same goes to them," Iruka answered. "Their Sensei thought they were ready as well and were secretly tested."

"So the attack from before was…"

"A test, to see whether you were ready to become a genin," Iruka concluded.

I turned to the Hokage. "So the weird questions you were asking before were for the test?"

"Yes," the Hokage confirmed. "And I'm very pleased with the results so far."

Naruto and the others celebrated, Kiba being the loudest. Sasuke managed a slow clap, but Kakashi was silent.

"So, does that mean I pass or something?" I asked.

"Almost. In order to graduate from the Academy and have a genin status, not only do you have to have outstanding hand-to-hand combat and extended knowledge about chakra use and shinobi life, it's important to be capable to use this knowledge and perform precise chakra flow. Every student has to create at least one single, functioning shadow clone in order to pass."

"So all I need to do is make a shadow clone, that's it?" I asked.

"That is all," The Third confirmed.

"You can do it, Quorra!" Kiba cheered.

"Yeah, believe it!" Naruto added.

I blinked at my friends thinking how unfair I've treated them. I thought that I could solve my problems on my own, but they were the solution all along. They were all the family I would ever need. If I did so happen to have people out there, looking for me, they weren't there for me now. Whereas the people in this room had been there and had faith in me since the first day I've met them.

My eyes scanned to Kakashi. He stood tall among his students— arms crossed, stare mimicking mine. Kakashi was by my side before anyone else. He was the one who saved me and convinced me to stay in the village. The least I could do was prove to him I was worth it.

"Alright then, what are we waiting for?" I said, eagerly.

Placing the young pup down, I threw my hands into the first hand sign. My chakra level was still low from the fight, but that wasn't going to stop me, not when I was so close. My lungs took a deep breath and then performed the rest of the signs. "Shadow clone jutsu."

A strong wave of fatigue hit as I felt vertiginous, swaying where I stood. Luckily, a helping hand kept me on my feet.

"You did it!" Naruto yelled.

Everyone was celebrating as I thanked my clone for keeping me upright and she disappeared.

The Hokage looked impressed. "Congratulations, Quorra. As the leader of the Leaf village, I would be honored if you accept this headband protector and help defend this village."

Mae and Sakura carried the protector out on a pillow which made the ceremony suddenly more grandiose, giving me an exhausted smile. Sakura tied the headband around my head. "I figured you would rather want a black strap instead of the standard blue," Sakura whispered.

Good ol' Sakura and our multiple shopping trips. "You know me too well," I whispered back.

Sakura stepped back when she finished securing it in place. I was beaming with rays of light so bright that it felt impossible for darkness to ever penetrate.

"I, Hirizen Sarutobi, Third among the Hokages of the Fire Country announce you an official kunoichi of the Leaf village."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," I bowed to show my respect, but Sakura must have not tightened the headband protector enough as it slipped over my left eye. Everyone giggled, including myself as I tried to reorient it. "Hokage-sama. When will I meet my teammates?"

Before he could respectfully answer, someone interrupted him. "You're looking at them," Leda said cockily, pointing at herself.

Mannerism went right out the window. "Really!? No way!"

Leda, Mae, and I jumped into a group hug. We screeched like little girls from pre-school. I never in the world thought that I would become a shinobi anytime soon, let alone be on the same team as my closest friends. This being a dream come true was an understatement, this was an honor. Our formality in the Hokage's office was long forgotten—well, until Kakashi cleared his throat and we snapped into line in front of our leader.

The Third didn't comment as he continued. "You three were placed together as you were found to be the most compatible for each other. Mae, you had the highest score in the class."

Mae stiffened but bowed. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"Leda, you had the lowest."

Leda was about to make a snarky remark until I elbowed her. "Thank you," she mumbled, bowing half-assed.

"But you show potential. You show loyalty— a beneficial quality that's necessary for a team," he said. This caused Leda's annoyed face to untwist some.

"And Quorra," I tensed at the call of my name. "You show the most passion and potential to protect your village and will be the glue that solidifies this team. You have been called a hero by some, but I believe you will win the hearts of many more. I have no doubt you will do wonders for this team and for the village."

It was a shock to be spoken so highly of. I came to this village as an outsider and now I could comfortably call this place my home. There were people who believed in me, even when I didn't completely believe in myself— an unspoken trust.

"I won't let you down, Hokage-sama," I said with a bow.

Leda gave me a smirk, Mae didn't. I couldn't put my finger on Mae's look as her face twisted with discomfort but didn't think twice about it.

"I am proud to announce that these three kunoichi will become Team Thirteen of Konoha," the Third finished.

We jumped with happiness as everyone celebrated in their own way. Naruto and Kiba yelled, Sakura and Sasuke clapped—Sakura cheerfully, Sasuke slowly while Kakashi and Iruka stood professionally.

Everything was perfect, but there was one thing that was left unanswered. "Wait, if we're Team Thirteen, who's our Sensei?"

As soon as I said it, Mae and Leda exchanged glances. "About that," Mae said.

Before I could reply, someone _poof_ into the room. He had dark, golden skin, blue eyes and an unforgettable smile that flashed the room.

"You!" I yelled, pointing at him.

"We met again," he smiled.

"You _attacked_ me!"

"I'm Gachero, your Sensei."

"Sensei!? You tried to blow me up!"

"It's a pleasure to formally meet you."

"You kicked your blade at me. You could have killed me!"

"And you kicked me so hard, I doubt I'll ever reproduce," he said matter-of-factly. He held out his hand. "Truce?"

Things weren't starting out on the right foot. It made sense now why Iruka-Sensei sent this Gachero guy after me. It was to test me, but I don't like being deceived. It did seem; however, that Gachero has thrown the incident under the bridge. So, why shouldn't I? He was now my Sensei after all.

"Hmph, alright." I shook his hand. "Truce, but if you ever come after me again, I won't go easy on you," I seriously but not too seriously joked.

"I don't have any doubt in that," Gachero's eyes crinkled.

"Gachero has been an important figure in this village. He actually volunteered to guide this team," Iruka said, placing a heavy hand on his colleague's shoulder.

"He's right," Gachero said. "I saw a lot of myself in this team."

The three of us exchanged looks. Mae the genius, Leda the hot head, Quorra the underdog. _How could he see himself in three adolescent girls?_

"Have you decided, Gachero-Sensei?" Iruka asked.

"Decide what?" Leda asked.

"Whether I nominate you three as Team Thirteen into this year's Chunin examination," sensei explained.

"I'm surprised, Iruka," Kakashi intervened, walking up beside me with hands dug into his pockets. "You're alright with the possibility of Team Thirteen going into the exams so soon?"

Iruka sighed. "You were right, Kakashi. As much as I would like them to gain more experience, it's not up to me. They aren't my students anymore." He looked saddened by his confession like a parent saying goodbye to his kids who were moving out. "Gachero-Sensei was no only testing Quorra to become a kunoichi, but to decide whether she was ready or not to perform in the examination."

"I see, well," Kakashi said. "Have you made your decision?" directing his question towards Gachero.

Without a word, Gachero walked up to the Hokage. "Lord Hokage, I, Gachero Kurosawa, will like to nominate Mae, Leda _and_ Quorra into the Chunin examinations."

Everything was happening too fast. One minute I became a kunoichi, the next I was nominated into the Chunin exams. Will the Hokage even allow that?

"Very well. Team Thirteen is now registered for the exam," the Third announced.

Mae, Leda and I radiated with excitement. The others couldn't hide their excitement either and ran over. Kiba made eye contact with me. His toothy grin spread across his face as he knew how much this meant to me. As he made his way into the crowd towards me, Mae ran to him and gave him a hug, surprising him.

Leda walked up to Sasuke and punched him, maybe a little too hard, in the shoulder. They must have gotten along some since I hid from society as he didn't seem to mind.

As for me, I ran towards Sakura and Naruto. It felt like it has been too long since I've last seen them. We group hugged so tightly, Sakura didn't even mind that Naruto was rubbing his head against hers.

"I smell an opportunity to celebrate with some ramen!" Naruto yelled.

_I swear, this kid as a one-track mind. _I thought, _but he had a bright idea_. "Alright, Naruto. Keep your pants on," I laughed. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's celebrate!"

The group unanimously agreed with it being dinner time. We were about to head out when the door slammed open.

"Grandfather! Grandfather! Quorra was attacked!" Konohamaru yelled.

_Oh shit, I forgot all about Konohamaru._

The boy ran blindly into me. "Hey, hey. I'm okay," trying to calm his hysteria.

He realized it was me through his tears. "Quorra? But- but- but you were attacked by that scary guy." He looked around the room, realizing for the first time we weren't alone. His eyes landed on Gachero. "That's him! That's the guy! Grandfather, this man attacked Quorra. I saw him through the tree hole!"

Everyone laughed because Konohamaru missed out on the memo. "What?" He said, flustered. "It's true!"

I patted his head. "It's okay, Konohamaru. I'm alright. No one is attacking anyone anymore."

"But-but-but," he rambled.

I gave another quick pat as I headed to the door. "Come on, everyone. I'm starving!"

Naruto and the other weren't hesitant as they waltzed out with me.

"Wait, you guys! W-what happened?" Konohamaru said in defeat as his grandfather stood behind him, smiling. "What did I miss?"

* * *

**Quorra became a kunoichi and nominated for the Chunin exams all in one day! I tried to make the situation as practical - in the Naruto World sense- as ****possible. It's not my favorite when OCs just join Team 7 as that breaks the 4 man squad rule. Hope you like the alternative. I think Mae, Leda, and Quorra balance each other out- dontcha think?**

**...**

**Every fav/ follow/ review means so much to me. It brings me joy knowing people enjoy the word vomit that comes flying out of my nonstop thinking mind. Thank you so much!**

**XO**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Characters may use words that would cause nuns to slap them on the wrist

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Emerald Silk**

After a night of celebration and Naruto getting wasted on an overload of ramen noodles later, it was time to get down to business. The newly formed Team Thirteen, featuring Mae, Leda and myself, the recent graduate, trained persistently with Gachero-Sensei. Day in and day out, we worked to improve our fighting and formations. Kakashi and Gachero-Sensei thought it was also a good idea to incorporate both teams into training, team vs. team. Our bond grew stronger and it was final; the Team Seven and Team Thirteen rookies were not to be messed with.

When the day finally came— the Chunin exams, Team Seven and Team Thirteen thought it was only appropriate to head into the examinations together.

"I'm going to wipe the floor with this exam. Believe it!" Naruto jumped with much enthusiasm.

"Cool it, Naruto," Sasuke complained. "The exams didn't even start yet."

"Yeah, cool it." Sakura gave Naruto a good smack to the back of the head. "Listen to Sasuke."

"Hmph," Naruto huffed. "You're just jealous that I'm going to wipe the floor with you too, Sasuke," the blonde smirked.

An argument appropriately broke out. I would usually say something to break up the trio of misfits, but there were too many emotions swirling around my claustrophobic mind. It would be naïve of me not to feel nervous. Team Thirteen was a new team. Sure, we trained each day as if it was our last, but being the rookies made me cautious.

Leda and Mae were besides me as Team Seven bickered up front. Leda walked like the cocky son-of-a-gun she was born to be. Her dragon scaled were a force field— worry bounced off with ease. Mae was more guarded as she took her steps methodically. She always appeared to be a step ahead of everyone.

Leda and Mae were the strength and brains, respectfully. The Third said I was the glue that will hold and solidify the group. Could I uphold his expectations?

Leda glanced at myself and Mae with at first anticipation, but soon gave her teammates a thumbs up. Mae smiled back, her eyes ready for whatever we will have to face. I couldn't help but smile as well.

"We should have a code name!" Naruto erupted. "You know, a name for the six of us."

Sakura, for once, was excited by something Naruto said. "Yeah! We should totally have a name."

Mae, Leda and Sasuke weren't opposing to the proposal.

"How about the Six Serpents?" Naruto suggested. "Oh, or the Six Ramen Eaters!?" He jumped at the thought.

"Those are terrible, Naruto!" The agreeing streak for Sakura ended as she expressed her hate. "How about the Sexy Six? What do you think, Sasuke?"

Sasuke ignored the previous options. "The Six Avengers," he muttered. I eye rolled.

"I like the Silent Six," Mae said. "Or maybe the Stealthy Six."

"The Sexy Stealthy Six!" Sakura squealed with joy.

"Oh, for fuck's sakes," Leda snorted. "We want a team name, not a tongue twister, and a lame one at that."

"What do you want it to be then?" I asked.

Leda had a menacing twinkle in her eye. "The Six Skull Crushers, obviously," cracking her knuckles for emphasis.

_Oh, bother._

Soon enough, after much argument and an undecided name, we reached the Academy. Mae and Leda said they would run ahead and get the registration forms. Team Seven and I headed towards the designated room.

"Sakura, the Lustful Lemons doesn't even make any sense," Naruto complained.

"You guys are a bunch of idiots," Sasuke sighed.

Sakura opened her mouth to rebut, but she was cut off.

"Hey you, with the attitude," came a voice from the floor above that overlooked the voluminous room. "That's no way to talk to Sakura."

Sakura gasped as her hair stood on end. Naruto freaked out as well. I recognized the boy as it was hard to forget. He was Rock Lee, the boy with the bowl haircut and bushy brows who gave Kiba and me a spine breaking hug because he wanted to "spread the youth".

"What do you want?" Sasuke was unfazed.

"I want to fight you, Sasuke. Right here, right now," Lee wasn't hesitant on his request.

"You want to fight me, huh?"

"Yes," he hopped off the balcony onto the floor below. His tone muscles stretched in the green jumpsuit, proving his hard training. "I challenge you. Everyone is always talking about the Uchiha clan and how great they are. I want to see if it's true myself. I figure you would be a good test for me. And…" he paused, staring at our pink-haired shinobi. Deep shades of rose spread over his cheeks, a school boy's crush.

Sakura felt the intensity of his wordless affection. Needless to say she did not feel the same way.

"Oh, Sakura. I love you! You are an angel sent from heaven!"

Sakura screamed, like Lee wiped a booger on her arm. "You keep your creepy Valentine's to yourself!"

_You would think she would appreciate the affection from another_, I thought. Sasuke wasn't going to return the feelings anytime soon.

"You don't have to be so negative, Sakura." Lee said matter-of-factly. He surprisingly didn't sound as hurt as one would expect.

Naruto was growling, not at the Green Beast, but instead at the Uchiha. "He wants to fight Sasuke. It's always Sasuke."

"Huh, guys?" I spoke.

Sasuke stared Lee down, itching for a fight despite scolding Naruto for feeling the same way moments before. Sakura shivered by the possible thought that a boy with such bushy eyebrows could have any feelings for her. Naruto was yelling at no one in particular, angered that no one wanted to pick a fight with him.

"Guys—" I said again, but trailed off when I saw Leda in the corner of my eye, walking out of the Academy. I left Team Seven to fend for themselves, since arguing would be futile, and caught up with Leda.

* * *

The balcony was where I found Leda. She seemed fidgety as she rolled her unlit cigarette between her fingers.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked, leaning on the railing besides her.

"Fine," she replied, monotone.

"You sure?" I pushed on. "You look tense."

"I'm fine!" She bit back followed by an immediate look of regret.

"Cut the bullcrap." I knew she was lying. "Who pissed you off this time? Was it the person who controls registration or was it the janitor again?" One time, the girl cursed out the cafeteria lady because her carrots were too cold.

That gave Leda a slight smirk. "No, the janitor was the other day. Bastard should learn how to mop."

Laughing lightly, "Then what's eating you?"

"It's nothing," Leda said in defeat. She stared down at the necklace around her neck that was usually tucked away under her shirt. It shined a mesmerizing blue.

I had a good guess what was wrong because I have been feeling it too. "Is it the Chunin exams?"

Leda didn't reply as she continued to roll her cigarette. Her fingertips squeezing hard enough for the smooth rounded paper to become wrinkled, misshapen. Tobacco slowly tickled out of the paper tube. "If you were to die tomorrow, would you be satisfied with your last conversation?"

_There goes Leda being all philosophical again. _"Leda…"

"I'm tripping balls, okay? I'm fucking terrified. There are shinobi here with years of experience. We just graduated. They're going to chew us up or worse—"

"No one is going to chew us up," I interrupted. I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I get it. This is nuts, it's fucking nuts. I have a team and became something I never thought I could be." Leda looked at me in the eye, absorbing the flames I was exerting. "Now, I am competing against hundreds of shinobi from across the land. It's going to be tough, but I couldn't have a better team or better friends. We can do it— together."

It soon became apparent that it didn't matter if we were the newbies. The point was to work together and try to become a chunin and if we don't and we fail horribly—that's fine ,too.

"Besides, I didn't watch you guys graduate for you to quit now," I smiled.

"You went?" Leda couldn't hide her shock.

"Of course I did," I laughed. "How could I miss it? You're my friends."

Leda stared deeply at me. Thoughts crowded her mind. Her unlit cigarette held tight in her hand. _Why wasn't she lighting it?_

"But, did you have to double flip off the whole crowd as you walked off with your diploma? I think an elderly woman fainted and another started to pray." We laughed at Leda's behavior, knowing she would do it again in a heartbeat.

"Bitches aren't ready for us," Leda certified.

"We just have more to prove since were the rookies," I agreed.

The loud, boisterous girl quieted. Leda pressed the cigarette into a flat dent. She rolled it so when she flicked it off the balcony, the aerodynamics would sail the cigarette farther.

She studied me with a critical eye. Leda then did something that was very out of character. I stiffened as she gave me a warm embrace. My shock wore off as I returned the hug. Her skinny arms wrapped around my waist as her face nestled in the nape of my neck. She could easily do that with the height difference. Quickly, she jolted back and fixed her character with a punch to the shoulder.

"Come on," Leda smirked. "Let's go fuck shit up."

* * *

Leda and I returned to find the situation not mending. For one, Naruto was sprawled out, seeing stars. Sasuke was in a brawl with Rock Lee, Sharingan activated.

"Go, Sasuke!" Sakura cheered. "See through his ninjutsu or genjutsu. There's no way you can be defeated."

Sasuke ran with defiance towards his opponent. Lee used his powerful leg to kick the Uchiha, who saw the move prior and attempted to dodge. But, it didn't work. Lee managed to kick Sasuke square in the jaw, sending him flying.

Leda and I gave each other a look. We both were thinking the same thing. With Sasuke's Sharingan, he has the ability to depict Lee's movements before they even happen.

_How did Lee get around Sasuke's Sharingan?_

The two genin continued to brawl. Sasuke managed to slip out of reach from Lee's powerful kicks, but Lee was too fast as he palmed Sasuke in the chest, knocking the breath out of him. I never seen Sasuke struggle so much in a battle before.

"How?" Sasuke winced, holding his chest. "How do you get around my Sharingan? What's your trick?"

"Don't you get it?" Lee said. "I am using taijutsu that means there are no tricks. It's straight martial arts, nothing more— Sasuke."

"Why you!" Sasuke went for a punch but hit air. Lee side-stepped out of the way with ease.

"I know the Sharingan and its ability to read your opponent's chakra and decipher their hands signs and movements, but that won't work on me."

"What's your point?"

"The _point _is that I don't need to hide my abilities. You are no match for me. You are too slow. What good does it do you if your eyes can keep up but your body can't?"

Sasuke grunted with frustration. He never had an opponent as strong as Lee and has never been talked down by one either.

"Your Sharingan is the worst match for my taijutsu." Lee said, kicking Sasuke straight into the air. Lee followed, hovering directly below him.

Sasuke's Sharingan knew what he was up to. "Dancing Leaf Shadow."

"Good eye. Now I will prove my point." The bandages on his arms began to unravel. Long strings of fabric surrounded him and Sasuke. He was a mummy becoming undone.

I couldn't watch anymore. This had gone on far enough. The test hasn't even officially started! Yet, they were willing to tear each other apart. Plus, a nagging feeling told me this needed to end anyway—for Sasuke's sake.

I ran out to the middle of the room. "That's enough you tw—"

My words of plea were cut off by the sound of rushing wind grazing my ear. A shuriken whizzed by, only inches away, and pinned Lee's bandages to the wall. I froze mid-step as if hovering over a land mine.

"That's enough, Lee," called a voice.

Without hesitation, Lee undid his jutsu and settled to the floor.

Sasuke shouted in pain as he flew to the ground. Sakura was quick enough to catch him as they skidded to a halt.

"Are you okay, Sasuke?!" Sakura yelled, clearly concerned. Without a reply, he winced as he stared past myself to Lee and the new guest. That bore a deeper concern from Sakura's face. We both knew he was shaken. He didn't even take the fall right.

"You were watching us the whole time?" Lee asked.

The boy was talking to the most frightening man I have ever seen. It was as if Lee was an add water play sponge which resulted in a bigger version of himself.

"Holy shit! There's another one?!" Naruto went ballistic, clearly awake now. His pointer finger shook with disbelief. "He's got the biggest eyebrows yet!"

"It's like Big-me and Mini-me," I concluded. Jitters shook through me.

Sasuke and Sakura slowly stood up, clearly effected by the ordeal as well.

"Man, that's some creepy father-son thing going on," Leda said, standing defiantly.

'Big-me' answered Lee. "Of course I was. That last technique was forbidden, you know that." He made weird fluent arm movements.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"A shinobi never reveals his techniques unless it's absolutely necessary!" Big-me scolded, his seriousness dampened when he twirled.

"I can see where Lee gets his looks from," Naruto snickered. "Same soup bowl haircut and even bushier eyebrows!"

"Those things can eat you alive," Leda snickered.

Lee overheard Naruto and Leda's snarky remarks. "Hey! Do not insult Gai-Sensei! He is one of the greatest man in the entire world!"

"Well excuse me for not noticing his greatness! I was too busy watching his hair and eyebrows go to war," Naruto argued back.

"Stop being so defensive about your creepy father," Leda added.

"He is not my father and he is not creepy!"

"My creep radar says otherwise," Leda snorted.

"Why you –"

"Lee, that's enough. Give it a rest," Gai-Sensei interrupted.

Like an obedient dog, Lee quickly let it go. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now for your punishment." Without warning, Gai- Sensei performed a baseball pitch punch and knocked Lee right off his feet. We screamed in disbelief.

Lee laid on the ground; the wind knocked out of him. Gai walked towards his injured pupil and kneeled in front of him. His angered look soon turned to mush, like ice cream melting in the sun.

"I'm sorry, Lee," he choked. "It's for your own good."

"Sensei," Lee was in tears. "Oh, Sensei. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" He fell into his Sensei's arms. "It was very un-youthful of me!"

Gai-Sensei was crying as well. A river of tears thicker than even his eyebrows. "It's okay. You don't need to say anymore." They proceeded to sob into each other's arms as though they were a long-lost couple.

The five of us each wore a different expression, unsure how to act in such a bizarre situation.

"It's actually kind of sweet the way they are all huggy and stuff," Naruto commented.

"You got to be kidding!" Sakura rebutted. "They're both totally crazy!"

Lee and his sensei broke from their emotional embrace. "You're just caught in between," Gai-Sensei said, putting a loving hand on his student's shoulder. "You're too old to be called a boy and not yet quiet a man."

"You're so good to me, sensei," Lee cried. "The youth is so strong in you."

Still an emotional wreck, Gai points to the outside. "Now take off. I want a hundred laps around the practice field. Show me what you got!"

"Yes, sir! No problem, sir!"

"Run into the setting sun. Run and suffer… but don't mess up your hair." They gleamed at each other as if all was forgiven. The hours of manual labor will erase Lee's criminal record and his youthful meter would be replenished.

"Hey, wait a minute. We're not finished here. You guys can't just take off!" Naruto accused.

"And what about the Chunin exams?" Sakura added.

"Oh, right. I forgot about that," Gai said, rubbing the back of his helmet hair guilty. "Lee you not only disobeyed the rules against fighting, but you disrupted the Chunin exams. I think that wards a slightly more severe punishment, don't you think?"

"Yes, sir!" Lee saluted.

"Let's say 200 laps," Gai said, placing a hand on his hips and the other soared in the air, flicking it.

"Outstanding, sir!"

"How about 300 laps!"

"Even better. What about 400, sensei?"

"Yes! Yes! More! More laps!"

"They're insane," Sakura said.

"Probably," I concluded, rubbing my face with both discomfort and utter fascination.

"It's like watching two boars mating in the wild," Leda said. "It's gross but you can't help but stare."

"I don't know how many boars you've seen… but I see your point… in a fucked up kind of way," I said, dragging my hand down my cheek for emphasis.

"600! 600!" Lee yelled, like he was at an auction. All he needed to do was wave the card and the bid was made.

Mae ran up to the five of us, waving the registration papers. "Hey guys! I got our forms. Sorry it took so long. I stopped to talk to Kiba and—" She skidded to a halt and fixated on the duo green jumpsuits' chatter. "What's going on here?"

"Incest," Leda replied.

"Leda," I scolded, elbowing her.

"Just saying," she shrugged.

"Lee fought Sasuke with a forbidden jutsu and now he's debating with his sensei what the appropriate punishment should be," I explained.

Mae eyed the two closely, staring them up and down. "I see." It was obvious the same thoughts were rattling through her mind.

"800! And on my hands!" Lee upped the ante.

"I like the way you think, Lee," Gai praised. "But I think we can do better than that."

"And backwards. Yes! Backwards. I'll go 800 laps on my hands, backwards!"

"Yes! That's perfect, Lee!" Gai-Sensei's smile wobbled, the emotional tide was upon us once again.

"Oh, Sensei." They cried into another emotional embrace.

"How could I lose to someone that lame?" Sasuke complained.

"Yeah, how about that? The Uchihas aren't as good as they say they are," Naruto gestured.

"Shut up, Naruto," Sakura snapped.

"Next time, I'll drive him to his knees," Sasuke gritted his teeth.

"Yeah, right," Naruto shot down. "Coming from the guy who just had his butt kicked."

"Stop it. What are you saying? Just cut it out, Naruto," Sakura scolded.

"All I'm saying is, I bet Old Bushy Brow has been training until he drops— day in and day out. He trains harder than you," Naruto explained.

Sasuke was angered by the Knucklehead's comment, but remained silent. He glared at the ground with his fists clenched. The weight of Naruto's words carried a heavy burden on his already heavy shoulders. He recently told me he didn't feel strong enough, that he wasn't progressing far enough even though he activated his sharingan. The pressure of being popular and an Uchiha was like dragging an anchor across land. People expected a lot out of him, but he expected even more out of himself.

"Come on," I said. "It's almost three. We should be there by now."

Everyone, one way or another agreed. Sakura, however stood stiff, like she saw a ghost. "He's staring at us."

I was about to ask who when I heard it, or rather, didn't hear. Lee and Gai-Sensei were quiet as they approached us.

"You are Kakashi's students, right?" He stared at Team Seven. "Tell me, how is Kakashi-Sensei?"

"Do you know him?" Sasuke asked.

"Do I know Kakashi?" Gai chuckled. "People say we are arch rivals for all eternity."

"There's just no way!" Sakura and Naruto yelled, simultaneously.

Gai- Sensei disappeared. "My reckon it's 50 wins and 49 loses, which is one better than him by the way," he said, reappearing behind us. Team Seven gaped. We were all shocked by his speed.

"What? How could he beat Kakashi?" Naruto exclaimed.

"The fact is, I'm stronger than Kakashi and faster," Gai winked.

_He's definitely faster than Kakashi. Could he be stronger, too?_

Gai glanced between Mae, Leda and I. "And, who is your sensei?"

"Gachero-Sensei, sir," Mae replied politely, fumbling with the registration papers.

Gai-Sensei wore a look that wasn't as easily distinguishable as his other more obvious ones. "Hm, Gachero-Sensei. You don't say?"

"Do you know him?" I asked.

"Have some kind of rival with our sensei, too?" Leda asked, almost offended.

"Can't say I do since I never met the guy," Gai rubbed his chin in ponder. "But I have heard plenty."

"Like?" I asked.

"He's quiet the overachiever. Graduated the Academy at the age of five and became jonin at age seven. He's been part of the elite group, AMBU, where he was a leader of his platoon—until now. He decided to become a sensei. He actually volunteered to coach your team." Referring to us. "Which is strange."

"Strange?" Mae asked. "Why do you say that?"

Gai stood rigid, the opposite of his flexible character. "A sensei is assigned a team, usually. You could request a type of team, possibly, but that isn't commonly done. But Gachero apparently was adamant about this particular team— your team. Which is why his name has been going around us sensei as of late."

He stared at me like he was trying to read a cryptic code off my face. His look intimated me and forced me to stare at my feet. Gai's demeanor reverted back as soon as it came. "Well look at the time! You all must be going. Good luck every-body! Lee!"

"Yes, Gai-Sensei!" with that they disappeared.

"That was weird," Mae said.

"And creepy," Leda added.

"What did Gai-Sensei mean about Gachero-Sensei?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, he sounds sketchy," Naruto added.

_Was Gachero-Sensei being sketchy?_ Who would go from the top of the ranks in an elite group— and give it all up to mentor a group of challenging girls? Gachero had been helping this chaotic team have some stability. Leda, Mae and I have learned from our sensei's military life and have benefited greatly. In all honesty, I didn't know what to make of it— or who to trust.

"I don't know," I replied, trying not to worry my teammates. "But never mind that. Let's get out of here."

We all agreed and walked towards our destination. Sasuke straggled behind.

"Sasuke?" I asked, concerned he was still shaken from the ordeal.

Sasuke, however, gave a sinister smile. "Things are starting to get interesting."

* * *

**The Chunin Exams have begun! Well... almost. The six had more important things to do like come up with a team name and fight men in green jumpsuits. What do you think their 6-man squad name should be? Leave a comment with one- be creative! Or else Sakura will have her way and the team will be called the Sexy Six... o.o**

**The six also met Gai in this chapter. What a youthful character. But Gai's words left Quorra and her team worried about their sensei. Is there something fishy about him or was it just a big misunderstanding?**

**...**

**This week As I Wake made a milestone! It now has over 100 followers and 75 favorites! I remember getting my first 10 follows/favorites and was so excited- Now look! I love sharing my creativity and hope you will stick around for more. *throws paper hearts***

**XO**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **This is a bad language free zone. This is also a lying though my teeth zone.

I want to thank the people who took the time to review/comment on my last chapter:

NovaTheHedgehog7500, Unknownher

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four: I Hate Carnivals**

We signed our forms, handed them in, and proceeded to the designated room. There to greet us was Kakashi and Gachero-Sensei.

"I'm glad everyone came for your team's sakes," Kakashi said. "Now you all can take the Chunin exam."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"You see, only groups of three are allowed to apply and take the exam. That's the way it's always been."

"But I thought the decision to take the exam was up to the individual," Mae stated.

"That's right," Gachero-Sensei answered. "It's an individual decision, but it effects all of you."

"I didn't tell you this before because I didn't want your fellow teammates to pressure you. It was a decision that I wanted everyone to come to on their own free will," Kakashi added.

"You mean if the others showed up and I didn't, they couldn't compete?" I asked.

"Yes, Quorra. That would be the end of the line for Mae and Leda as well," Gachero-Sensei concluded.

Leda was shocked by the news, understanding clearly now that if she gave up, Mae and I would've been forced to give up as well. Nudging Leda, I gave a small smirk. We all depended on each other.

"But everyone is here so we can begin," Kakashi said. "Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke," he stared affectionately at each of his unique students. "I'm proud of you. I couldn't ask for a better team."

Team Seven smiled at each other, or smirked in Sasuke's case. Either way, their faces wore excitement and they were interested in getting this shindig started.

"I'm proud of my team, too," Gachero-Sensei said. "I wouldn't want any other team but this one."

"That's because you went on your knees," Leda muttered, not so quietly. "And sucked someone's –"

"Leda," I hissed, elbowing her roughly.

Our sensei wore a puzzled look, not sure what the commotion was about. "What was that, Leda?" He rose a finely shaped brow.

"I said—"

"She wanted to know why us. Why is this team so special?" I interrupted, giving Leda the evil eye.

Whatever look of concern he wore before flashed from his deep blue eyes. "It's no secret that I was intrigued when I heard of this group. There was lots of controversy over you girls forming into a team from the very beginning."

I knew when he said controversy, he was referring to me. That I, the girl with no memories, past and nightmares, was still a problem for some in this village. Even though it doesn't happen often, people would give me odd looks from time to time. Kakashi tried to reassure me that the citizens have experienced times when unfortunate circumstances came of out the wood works - from things that could have been avoided if the citizens had prior knowledge. People were scared of things they didn't know. People don't want to give power or status to those they feared.

"But I believe in giving individuals a chance they deserve. And I truly am proud of you three and hope you believe in yourselves as much as I do." Gachero's eyes shined, glistening with promise.

It made sense why sensei was so "sketchy". How could I have ever doubted him? Leda snorted but even she knew she had no reason not to trust him. It was still bothersome; however, that I felt like mentoring me has become some kind of noble deed— a community service project.

"Thank you, sensei," Mae said, sincerely, bowing respectfully. I followed her led.

Leda did too, relentlessly. "Yeah, whatever. Thanks, I guess."

Sensei smiled even with the lack of sincerity. "You must be off. Good luck in there." Gachero-Sensei and Kakashi stepped off to the side, leaving the door accessible.

"I believe in you guys— all of you," Kakashi said.

"We won't let you down sensei, believe it," Naruto cheered. His positivity helped fuel my insecurities.

Sakura and Sasuke each pushed one of the double doors and the six of us entered.

* * *

Before I fully entered the exam room, Kakashi grabbed my wrist. "Hold on, Quorra."

Kakashi didn't keep me long as I reunited the five. I wished I was better prepared for the number of shinobi that were held inside. Hordes of shinobi crowded eagerly, all ranging in shapes and sizes. Different headbands were worn, symbolizing the vastness of this world and my lack of knowledge in it.

"Holy fuck."

"Nice of you to join us," Mae joked. A bit of anxiousness seeped from her features. "There's… a lot of people here."

"Yeah, too many for my liking." Leda said, sourly.

Naruto looked as lost as I felt while Sakura was too busy brooding over Sasuke's latest fan girl.

"Sasuke, where have you been?" Ino giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I missed those good looks of yours."

"Hey! Back off you Porker." Steam blew from Sakura's ears. If there was one thing I didn't have to worry about with Sasuke, it was other girls when Sakura was around. "He's mine!"

"Miss Forehead Girl, they let you in? Still got those frown lines on your big billboard brow, I see."

"Leave my forehead out of it!"

Ino stuck her tongue out, mockingly.

"I knew this would be troublesome," said a boy. "But I didn't think it would be this troublesome."

The boy had hair that looked like it was struck by lightning, black and stuck up in a ponytail. He wore a grey short-sleeved jacket under a mesh shirt. Another boy stood next to him eating a bag of chips, satisfied.

"That's Shikamaru Nara," Naruto informed me. "Always complaining, never does anything about it. He's the laziest boy I know. And the muncher," pointing to the boy next to Shikamaru with a forehead protector that allowed two tufts of hair to poke out at each side. "That's Choji Akimichi, or rather, Akimunchy. I bet he would eat his own head if he could."

"Hey, you know what pip-squeak," Shikamaru threatened. "Ah, forget it. You're a waste of time."

Naruto shrugged his cocky shoulders. "What'd I tell you? Too lazy to even argue back. Them plus Ino Yamanaka makes the marvelous Team Ten," he said, full of sarcasm.

Shikamaru's narrow brown eyes shot daggers. Choji continued to eat, making the swirl patterns on his cheeks move furiously up and down. Ino was too engulfed with marking her territory and pissing off Sakura to even notice.

"They sure are something," I said to Naruto.

He snorted. "Yeah, _something _alright. Like circus clowns."

"Hey, watch it," Shikamaru pointed. "Don't underestimate us." Naruto ignored his threat with a laugh.

"Well, well, what do you know? It looks like everyone decided to show up," called Kiba, waltzing up with his teammates all smug.

"Hey, Kiba!" Mae called.

"Hello, Naruto," Kiba's shy teammate, Hinata, said.

Naruto gave a puzzled look like he couldn't hear her which was a strong possibility on the account that Hinata talked barely higher than a whisper. The quiet Hyuuga turned shades of red.

Kiba smiled in my direction. "Glad you made it, Quorra!"

"Guess we are all here then," Leda said with little enthusiasm.

"The twelve rookies!" Mae beamed. "Isn't that right, Kiba?"

"Hell yeah!" Kiba replied making Mae's cheeks flush.

"We're still going to kick your ass," I added with a sneer.

"Woah, woah, woah," Kiba put his hands up. "_Your _team is going to kick _my_ team's ass? I think you got it turned around." Compared to this other teammates who preferred to keep quiet, Kiba was a big time instigator.

"A little overconfident are you?" I replied enjoying a little competition.

"We've been training like crazy," Kiba said. "We're going to blow you all away."

"You guys must have grown stronger with all that training!" Mae blurted.

"Do you even know what training means, Dog-boy?" Leda asked, picking her nails with boredom.

"I'm s-sure Kiba didn't mean it-it like that," Hinata said.

Leda didn't care. "Zip it, Mute."

"Hey, you guys. You might want to try keeping it down a little," called a guy who I didn't recognized. "I mean no offense but you're the twelve rookies, right? I wouldn't go make a spectacle of yourselves," he warned, pushing his overly round glasses up his nose. "This isn't a class field trip you know."

"Who asked you? Who are you?" Ino snapped.

"I'm with BB here," Leda added.

"BB?" Mae asked.

"Yeah," Leda spoke louder. "BB. Blonde Bimbo."

"Hey!" Ino yelled.

The new guy ignored the girls' quarrel. "I'm Kabuto Yakushi. But really, look around you. You are making quite the impression."

We all stared at the mob of eyes that glared at us with power and greed. All from different lands but all with the same goal, to become a chunin. By the looks of it, they were willing to do anything to claim that title. They're not afraid to get their hands stained with the inexperienced.

In the crowd, I spotted sea foam green eyes. In the seas of darkness, the Loch ness Monster's eyes glow. Distinctive chills ran down my spine even despite all this time since I saw him last. He glared at me. His teammates stood beside him still intact, at least for now. Hatred and power radiated off him, warmer than the rays of Hades. I still didn't recognize him. I felt no recollection, but I needed to find out for sure.

An ominous presence even stronger broke my concentration on Gaara. Three sound genin— two boys, one girl, glared at myself and my fellow rookies. They looked young themselves with, unlike Gaara, hatred towards _us_. We were ambitious and rowdy, to say the least, but it felt they had a vendetta against us. I should have warned the others but I kept it to myself, for now. I needed to keep an eye on them.

"See those guys?" Kabuto continued. "They're very touchy, they all are. This exam makes everyone tense and you don't want to rub them the wrong way." His voice was deep, dense like fog over a prairie.

But the fog lifted with a gestured smile. "But you can't help it. I mean, how could you know how things work? You're just rookies. You remind me of myself a while back."

"This isn't the first time you have taken the exams?" Sakura asked.

"No it's…my seventh."

The rookies and I stared at Kabuto like he was a lost puppy.

"Well, the exam is held twice a year," Kabuto explained. "Making this my fourth year."

"You must be an expert by now," Mae exclaimed, fascinated by Kabuto's wisdom and experience.

"Yeah, sort of."

"Cool! You can give us the inside tips," Naruto said.

"Yeah, some expert. He's never passed," Sasuke dissed.

"Well, they say seventh time's the charm," Kabuto rubbed his grey ponytail head with embarrassment.

"So it's true what they say about the exams being tough. Oh, man. I knew this was going to be a drag," Shikamaru complained.

"Hold on. Don't give up yet," Kabuto reassured. "Maybe I could help you kids out a little— with my ninja information cards." He took a stack of cards out of his pouch and fanning them in his hands.

"What the heck are those?" Sakura asked.

"These cards are chakra encoded with everything I have learned in the past four years. I've got more than 200 of them. So you see, I haven't been completely wasting my time." Kabuto placed his thick pile of cards on the ground. "They might not look like much to the naked eye," he said flipping the card over, revealing it to be blank. "But if I infuse my chakra into the cards." He spun the card with his finger. "It will reveal their secrets."

"It's a map," I said. The card revealed the map of the world and all their nations. Even though the card was small, seeing all those unknown territories made me feel even smaller.

"Correct," Kabuto confirmed. "It shows the geographic distribution of all the candidates who come to take the Chunin exam, what village they come from, and how many from each village. Now, why do you think they come here and take the exams at the same time?" Everyone looked around clueless.

"To make things fair," Mae explained, pushing her glasses up to examine the card closely.

"Exactly. It's the foster friendship between nations. International brotherhood and whatnot."

"Nice one, Mae! I had no clue," Kiba condoled.

Mae looked shocked from the sudden admiration. "Oh, it-it was nothing."

"But there's another reason," Sasuke said.

"Yeah. Also, this way, they can regulate the total number of shinobi that end up in each village; therefore, maintaining the balance of power."

"Oh, right. Balance of power, believe it." Naruto nodded, but knowing him, he had no clue what Kabuto was talking about.

"Balance of power. Big deal. It's all a drag," said Shikamaru.

"If the balance isn't maintained, one nation could end up with many more shinobi than its neighbors and could be tempted to attack them. So they try to maintain the status quo. Makes sense, I suppose," Kabuto concluded.

Mae's fascination grew with each syllable. Any reason to learn and she was on it like it's her gateway drug. Sasuke continued asking questions about certain people and what Kabuto had on them.

"I don't trust four eyes," Leda muttered to me. "Why does he want to help a bunch of rookies?"

I didn't scold Leda on her rudeness for once because, truth be told, she had a point. Her extreme dislike for anyone and everyone made sense this time. Why would Kabuto want to help us kids? What does he gain in doing so?

"Maybe he's just trying to be a good guy. You know, good karma." I said, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Leda snorted with disbelief. "There's no such thing as good people. Only lesser of two evils." Mae shushed her as she was trying to concentrate on Kabuto's wisdom.

I was prepared to fall back into Kabuto's encyclopedia mind as a whistle blew. It wasn't an actual whistle but a human whistle sung in an affectionate tune. I soon figured out, it was for Leda.

"Hey, Sweet Ass, over here," called a boy with pastel pink and blue hair— looking like he belonged in a carnival. He perched on top of a desk with his two teammates, who joined him on the fun.

Leda, like she was Akamaru, growled. She was about to say something as I once again stopped her. "Ignore them. They are just trying to rile you up." She surprisingly obeyed as the trio continued their harassment with yips and calls.

"Let me take a good chunk of that ass," he called, using his hands for emphasis.

It was sizzling Leda's short fuse even shorter. Any minute now and she will erupt into fury of death and pain— her words, not mine.

In an attempt to stop them, I walked around Leda to block their view. They didn't appreciate the gesture.

"Move out of the way, Flat Chest," the boy taunted. His teammates chuckled agreeably.

I felt the tips of my ears sting, knowing they were red. _Just ignore them, Quorra, _I told myself. _No need to make a scene._

"Hey," he called, louder, cupping his hands around his mouth. "I said, move it, Bitch. You're blocking the merchandise!"

Leda was loaded weapon, all that was left was to pull the trigger. But I, the one who said to calmly ignore them, beat her to it.

"Are you deaf?! I said—"

"Oh, I'll give you a view! You Cotton Candy headed little fuck!" I yelled as I charged at him, jumping over desks as if it was my life mission. The boy stared in horror as he was too slow to move out of the way from my rage.

Tackling him, his and my bull-like body topped the desk over— a tangle of kicking legs.

"You wanna add a few more colors to that hair of yours, Buddy?" I sassed, shaking him. Whimpers escaped his throat, his eyes bugged. "I think red will match nicely, don't you think?"

"Help me! This bitch is crazy!" The boy with color vomit hair whimpered louder. His teammates jumped back. They didn't help their fallen comrade, afraid they too would be caught in the hell storm.

"Don't you think?" I asked again, slamming his fragile skull into the hard linoleum.

"Yes! Yes, red! I like red!" he wailed. "Just don't hurt me!"

"Oh, no," I reassured. "This won't hurt a bit." I pull my arm back, revving for the first punch, as a pair of arms wrapped roughly around my waist.

"Let go of me!" I yelled. "I want to watch him bleed!"

"You're supposed to be laying _low_," Kabuto struggled to talk, trying to pull my resisting body out of the mosh pit.

The boy quickly sat up. His hair astray and tousled just like the look on his face. "Yeah, tell your ugly, flat-chested friend to cool it."

"Why, you!" I yelled, kicking and trying to rip out of poor Kabuto's desperate grasps. The boy jumped back, scared I was going to break free and attack.

"Hey!" Leda stood on a chair. "Don't you _dare_ talk to my teammate like that! Only I can make fun of her mosquito bites!"

Leda and I hurled insults at our opponent as Mae shrieked for us to stop. Kabuto clung for dear life as my limbs kicked and scrambled for an escape.

Kiba yelled something along the lines that I was 'going to get us killed' as he yelled back at the troublesome boys that he was 'going to kill them.'

Naruto jumped on the chair besides Leda. "I'm going to beat every single one of you, believe it!"

"We're going to kick your scrawny asses!" Leda proved her point by pulling her pants down far enough to expose her bottom, mooning the contestants. Some whistled, entertained. Most were dead quiet— eyeing her.

She laughed as she slapped her ass. "Get a good look at it, bitches. You're going to see a lot of this backside as we cream you!"

Naruto followed Leda's led and turned to smack his own bottom. "Believe it!"

"Tell your boyfriend to cut it out before we all get killed," Ino reprimanded Sakura.

"He is not my boyfriend, you pig," Sakura snapped which ignited an argument between the Sasuke-loving kunoichi.

"Oh, bother. What a drag," Shikamaru rolled his eyed.

It was chaos among the rookies. A brawl would have surely broke out if we weren't stopped.

"That's enough," boomed an adult voice which carried throughout the large, crowded room.

Everyone froze in place. Leda's ass out, my hands in Cotton Candy's hair, Kabuto froze has he dropped me. The adult who yelled was a very tall, lean man with a leaf symbol bandanna on this head. Two large, deep scars ran across his face, from brow to jaw.

"I'm Ibiki Morino, your proctor and from this moment on, your worse enemy," he smiled as if proud to be hated.

He continued to reprimand the crowd. "I'll say this once so listen up. There will be no combat between candidates. No attacking each other without the permission of your proctor and even then the use of fatal force is strictly prohibited. Anyone who thinks of messing with me will be disqualified immediately, got it?"

No one replied in fear of being kicked out of the exams before they even begin. Some nodded their head, agreeably. Cotton Candy boy and his teammates stood quietly, shaking like a leaf. Others gave a cold stare to the man who determined whether they passed or failed.

Ibiki cleared his throat. "Now, enough with your pettiness. Save it for the exam. It's time to begin."

* * *

**Team 13 learn why Gachero-Sensei was so adamant to be their Sensei. It's a reasonable explanation... isn't it?**

**The 12 rookies are a little on the, um, dysfunctional side. Having love quarrels, making threats, pummeling people, mooning enemies... that's totally the norm.**** But come on now, Cotton Candy Boy deserved it. No rage issues _there_.**

**Anymore creative names for the six? Sakura runs the ballot and has been voting/writing her own ideas nonstop. No Sakura, the 'Sakura and the Sex Cats' can't be a name!**

**...**

**Thanks for reading! Favorite/ follow/ comment for more. Hope I made you smile. Stay tuned!**

**XO**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Even though there will be stress from test taking in this chapter, there's plenty of room for bad language.

I want to thank the people who took the time to review/comment on my last chapter:

gingerann975, Jemstone6259

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Pass the Butter**

Ibiki cleared his throat. "Now, enough with your pettiness. Save it for the exam. It's time to begin. Hand over your paperwork. In return, you each will be given a number. This number determines where you will sit. We'll start the written task once you are all seated."

"The what? Did he say… written?!" Naruto's eyes bugged.

* * *

After disappointingly climbing off Cotton Candy Boy, I received my number and took my seat. My seat was dead, leaving a sufficient amount of ninja surrounding me. Leda sat close, only a row in front of me, but Mae was on the far left of the room. Her face was barely visible through the tangle of torsos. Naruto was close as well, with Hinata next to him. Sakura's pink hair was easy to spot a few rows behind me. Sasuke sat far, but I could see his passive aggressive glare from here.

"Alright listen up," Ibiki began. "There are a few rules you need to be aware of and I won't answer any questions—so you better pay attention the first time around." I rolled my eyes even though I tried hard not to. Ibiki was too confident in his superiority— a characteristic that doesn't mesh well with mine.

"The first rule is this— the written part of the exam is graded on a point reduction system. Contrary of what you may be used to, you all begin the task with a perfect score of ten points. One point will be deducted for each answer you get wrong. So if you missed three, your final score will be seven."

_And if I miss ten, my final score will be zero, _I internally groaned.

"Rule number two, teams will pass or fail based on the total score of all three members—"

"What! What a second. You're saying we all get scored… as a team!" Sakura banged her head on her desk, flabbergasted. My best guess was because we all knew how well Naruto does with tests, especially written tests. He did get the lowest scores in the Academy after all.

"Silence!" Ibiki castigated. "I have my reasons, so shut up and listen… Rule number three, the sentinels you see positioned around the room are there to watch you carefully for any signs of cheating and for every incident they spot, they will subtract two points from the culprit's score."

The sentinels sat side-by-side along the perimeter of the room—all much older than us. They didn't look welcoming with their sneers and glares.

"Be warned, their eyes are extremely sharp and if they catch you five times, you will be dismissed before the tests are even scored. Anyone foolish enough to be caught cheating by the sentinels doesn't deserve to be here."

"I got my eyes on you guys," said a lookout who, ironically, had bandages over both of his eyes. His shinobi headband was placed over said wrapping.

"If you want to be considered shinobi, then show us what exceptional shinobi you can be," Ibiki said affirmatively. "One more thing, if any candidate gets a zero and fails the test, then the entire team fails."

"What he say?!" Sakura and Naruto exclaimed simultaneously. Naruto looked blue in the face with anxiousness.

"The final question won't be given out until fifteen minutes before the end of the testing period. You'll have one hour total."

I stared at the clock as the seconds hand ticked rapidly. Naruto had a right to be blue. This test wasn't to be taken lightly and with Ibiki on board, it has become more intense. The room reeked with fear— and it wasn't coming just from Naruto. Even though I didn't attend class at the end of the term, I still kept up with my studies and, essentially, had the same level of knowledge as anyone else in this room. But, doubt gnawed at my subconscious.

"Begin!" Ibiki commanded and with a startle, I did what I was told.

My eyes scanned across the first question:

**What is the air velocity of an unladen swallow?**

My heart dive bombed into the pit of my stomach. _What the actual fuck. How am I supposed to know the answer to this? It doesn't even specify if it's an African or European swallow._

Out of paranoia, I quickly scanned the other questions. It got worse and more complex as the questions went on. _These are integrated problems based on principles of uncertainty, _I concluded. I couldn't begin to understand any of these problems. One of them was even written in French! What did _passez le beurre, cochon_ even mean?

I missed some schooling, but knew better than to assume the class learned all of this while I was gone. These questions were too advanced for a bunch of genin. Scanning the room, everyone looked as stumped. From here, Mae's pencil moved frantically. Knowing her, she read and answered these types of questions before bed time.

Leda, on the other hand, looked like she didn't have a care in the world. Her head slumped onto her hand as her penciled moved idly, begging for the test to be over. Glancing cautiously, her markings weren't of words, they were…

…_Are those penises? _I gawked at the array of male genitalia plaguing her paper. Leave it to the red head, who was panicking before we got here, to be high on the Chill Pill.

The tapping of a sentinel's pencil onto his pad snapped my eyes back to my paper. I tried to remain calm. As nice as Leda's Picasso skills were, her effort effected Mae and I. Mae would keep up her end and I should be able to do the same to balance out the team with a decent mark.

_I hope. _I thought, staring down at the alien exam.

The clock ticked loudly, ringing in my eardrums. That's when what felt like a monster emerged. From the darkness, it clawed into my conscience with a thought that cut me like a double edge sword.

_I could cheat. _

I shook my head violently and pushed the thought away. Ibiki clearly stated what happened to cheaters. Cheaters would be caught, cheaters would be asked to leave with their team, cheaters would fail— indefinitely. But parallel to the Unknown, the thought was persistent.

Naruto looked like he had the same idea as he sat fidgety. Hinata was beckoning him to look at her paper. He was listening to his inner demons and as his head turned to Hinata's paper— a kunai knife soared past Naruto. He was knocked back from the shock but he soon realized that the ambush wasn't for him.

"Wha- what was that all about?" called Cotton Candy boy as he jumped up on instinct.

"Five strikes and you're out. You just failed the test," spoke the sentinel with the bandages.

"What, you can't be—"

"You and your teammates must leave the room, immediately."

Cotton Candy testified. "No, no way. Who says I cheated five times? Where's your proof? How can you keep track of all of us? You got the wrong guy. How do you know I just –" His words were cut short as the sentinel punched the participant in the gut, knocking the breath out of him. Cotton Candy winced with shock and fear.

"Sorry, pal. We were chosen for this because we don't make mistakes like that. You can't even blink without us seeing it. We're the best of the best and you, my friend, are history. Now get out." His words could cut steel. "Take your teammates with you."

His teammates silently, and definitely angrily, left the room with Cotton Candy trudging behind. As much as I wanted to deck his Easter egg head, I still felt bad. It was a shitty way to fail and wait to take the exams again next year.

As everyone returned diligently to the exams, Naruto didn't even attempt to look at Hinata's paper. He whispered to her – imagining it was to decline her offer – as she scooted her paper away from view.

Naruto banged his head on the desk and I sympathized with the Knucklehead. The event should have jolted my mind to veer away from cheating but the thought was still present. Naruto and I shared the same frustration and there wasn't that much time left!

I thought back to my conservation with Kakashi I had moments before entering the exam…

* * *

Before I fully entered the exam room, Kakashi grabbed my wrist. "Hold on, Quorra."

I gave him a questioning look as everyone proceeded inside. Kakashi gently pulled my wrist to the sidelines. "What is it, Kakashi?"

"I just wanted—" he stopped himself and eyed Gachero-Sensei, who was still standing by our side. "Do you mind, Gachero-Sensei," he asked kindly. "I wish to talk to Quorra."

"Oh, yes. Of course," Gachero-Sensei said.

Gachero remained idle as Kakashi continued to eye him. "Alone?"

"Oh, right. Right." Gachero gave me a look that asked for my approval to Kakashi's request and I courteously nodded. "I'll be right down the hall if you need me," he spoke and stared, not too discretely, at Kakashi's grasp on my wrist.

When Gachero-Sensei was out of hearing distance, Kakashi released my wrist. "I just wanted to wish you luck."

"You already wished us luck, Kakashi," I joked.

"True," Kakashi confirmed. "But I want to wish _you_ luck and to tell you to stay strong. The team relies on you as much as you rely on them. And as much as you doubt yourself, you are capable of succeeding."

"I know that now," I reassured. Leda made me fully aware of that. We were a team. This was just as much of an experience for me as it was for them.

"But you need to be careful, too." Kakashi warned. "Be smart. Be aware of your surroundings and never assume the obvious."

_Why was he telling me this? Why was he only telling this to _me_?_ "Okay."

"Not okay, Quorra. I'm serious. If something happens to you in there… I won't be able to save you."

"I _don't _need saving," I barked. The statement didn't settle right with me. It felt insulting, like everything he meant before was a lie. That I couldn't take care of myself.

"I know you don't. All I am saying is to not take this _too_ lightly. Ninjas die from this exam, Quorra. I don't know what I would do if…" he trailed off.

I was taken aback by Kakashi's remark. It was unlike him to be so emotionally invested. He saved and looked after me for all this time. This was the first time I was going somewhere he couldn't get to. I was the baby bird leaving the nest. He wanted me to succeed, it was just hard for him to let me go.

"Thank you for caring about me," I said. He stared wide-eyed as I went for the door.

"A ninja must see through deception," he called.

"I will," I said as the door closed behind me.

* * *

I picked up the enigmatic test and tried to look at it with a different perspective. There were nine, ridiculously hard questions staring back at me, challenging me. Nine questions that determined whether, my team and I, were to pass the written or to pack our bags.

There was no way any genin, unless you were Mae, could solve these problems. It was as if the test was begging us to cheat. But, Ibiki was very adamant about cheating— more than any teacher would normally be. If that was so, why was he only deducting two points for each incident? Cheating was a zero tolerance rule. A one strike and you're out kind of deal— why give us five chances to fuck up?_ What was I missing?_

My eyes squinted to read in between the lines. My mind drifted to Kakashi's Golden Rule:

_A ninja must see through deception._

Deception… deception, what does that mean? What was Ibiki trying to deceive us with?

Suddenly the thought hit me with such force, I couldn't decide if I was more shocked that Ibiki was a sly fox or angry that it took me this long to realize. He was testing us on how well we can gather information without getting caught.

_He wants us to cheat…_

* * *

By the time light shined to my dense skull, the hour was almost up. Even though I solved the mystery, there was one problem…

_… __how was I supposed to cheat?!_

The genin around seemed to be drawing the same conclusion and they were thinking of creative ways of not getting caught. Sasuke was using his Sharingan to mimic the pencil movements of the person sitting in front of him. Kankuro was excusing himself to the bathroom with the escort of a sentinel— a sentinel of his own creation. And Leda was drawing an elaborate portrait of Shiri-Sensei with dark **X**'s over his eyes.

I dragged my hands over my face, digging my nails into my skin. I didn't have a special ability like the Sharingan or a helper like The Crow. And I certainly didn't have brains like Mae or Sakura. I was royally fucked.

I was so engulfed in beating myself up over not going to magician school, I didn't notice the fuzz ball at my feet. It wasn't until it clawed at my shins did I realize what – or who it was.

"Akamaru?" I whispered. "What are you doing, boy?"

The pup crawled from under my desk and jumped into my lap. His hind legs balanced on my thin thighs as his forelegs used my chest for stability. Slobber streaked my already abused face.

"What is it, Akamaru? Can't you see I'm busy failing here?"

Akamaru continued to show his affection as something popped in and out of view. I laid the energetic pup on my lap and patted his head to get a good look. I retrieved what was a thin rolled up piece of paper that was tucked under his collar.

I tug my nails into the small scroll and methodically unrolled it. Inside were nine, almost disturbingly neat, paragraphs.

"Give Kiba the biggest, most sloppy kiss for me," I said, kissing the pup softly on his little forehead. Akamaru accepted the challenge with a yip and scurried back to his owner.

By the time I heard Kiba's cry with disgust from the biggest tsunami of kisses, it was time to get to work.

* * *

"Listen up, here's the tenth and final question," Ibiki commanded. "But, before I give out the question, there are some more rules you need to be aware of."

Kankuro interrupted Ibiki as he walked back into the room. "Ah, made it just in time. I hope you found your trip to the bathroom… enlightening," Ibiki said. Kankuro stood stiff in fear of his cheating scheme was found out.

"Well? Take your seat already," Ibiki gestured to his empty chair.

"R-right," Kankuro relaxed and walked back to his desk.

"These rules are unique to question ten. Rule number one, each of you can choose not to be given the final question— it's your decision."

"Woah, so what's the catch? Let's say we decide we don't wanna do it. Then what?" the female sand shinobi from Gaara and Kankuro's squad asked. Wariness laced her words.

"Yeah, like Temari said. What happens then?" Kankuro added.

"If you choose not to take the tenth question, regardless to the answers to the other nine, you will get a zero. In other words, you fail and your teammates as well." Chatter sprung in the crowd. It seemed like an easy choice.

"Not so fast, you didn't let me finish. If you do accept the question and answer it incorrectly, you will not only fail— _you will be banned from taking the Chunin exams ever again._"

"Hey, that's bull, man." Kiba stood, as angry and confused as everyone else. "That's ridiculous! What kind of bogus rule is that?" He pointed accusingly at Ibiki. "There's lots of people who have taken the test before." Akamaru barked agreeably.

Ibiki laughed. "I guess you are just… unlucky. I wasn't making the rules before, but I am now. Of course, if you don't want to take it, you don't have to." He challenged Kiba. "If you're not feeling confident then by all means skip it. You can come back and try again next year." He stared everyone down. Knowing fully well what kind of hell he released on the already mentally exhausted shinobi. "Those who don't want to take it, raise your hand. Your number will be recorded and then you're free to go."

Everyone, including myself, sat in overwhelming awe. One by one, hands shakily rose as their numbers were called. The girl next to me stood up in tears as her and her teammates walked out the door. The room that was moments ago crowded with genin quickly diminished to a mere half.

I sat frozen, uncertain what to do. It was a miracle in itself that I was even here, competing as a genin. I should take the most caution since my position as a shinobi was so fragile, but I would never forgive myself if I didn't try. Giving up was not in my stubborn personality and determined-filled blood. On the flip-side, was I willing to risk Leda and Mae's future over my pig-headedness?

Naruto must be freaking out even more than everyone else. Knowing Naruto, he never caught onto the whole cheating thing. His head hung down as he shakily rose his hand. He probably doesn't want to risk failing not only himself, but Sakura and Sasuke as well.

Before Naruto's number was recorded and would be free to go, he slammed his hand on the table. "Don't underestimate me. I don't quit and I don't run. You can act tough all you want— you guys aren't going to scare me off. No way! I don't care if I do get stuck as a genin for the rest of my life! I'll still be Hokage someday!"

Ibiki looked at Naruto with intrigue as he rose a brow. "This decision is one that could change your life. If for any reason you would rather quit… now's your last chance."

"No way." Naruto stood up. "I never go back on my word. That's the way of the ninja."

The Knucklehead's words marinated into my thoughts. He was right, I couldn't quit, not when I've gotten so far. I couldn't let the Unknown get to me. I couldn't let the future scare me. Life was about taking risks and since Mae and Leda's hands weren't up, they must feel the same way. Naruto's speech seemed to have an effect on the others too. No one else rose their hand.

Ibiki looked around the dwindled group of shinobi and didn't spot anyone left wavering. "Well then, I admire your determination. For those of you remaining, there's only one thing left to do and that's for me to tell you… that you all pass the first exam."

Feeling shocked would have been an understatement. "Hold on. What just happened? What do you mean we passed? Where's the tenth question?" Sakura asked.

Ibiki let out a happy laugh. "There never was one. Not a written one at least. Actually, your decision to stay was the answer to the tenth question."

"A ninja must see through deception," I said, slumping back into my chair, feeling stupid for not expecting this.

"Exactly," Ibiki said.

"Wait a second. So the other nine questions were a waste of time? Is that what you're saying?" Temari called out.

"Oh no, not at all," Ibiki clarified. "Quite the opposite. The first nine questions were to test your abilities to strategically gather intelligence under the most adverse of circumstances."

"Oh, well that clears up everything," Temari rolled her eyes.

"Let me explain. You see my objective was to test your abilities not only individually, but as a team and how well you function as a part of that team. That's why the test was scored on a point basis so that everything you did or fail to do would directly affect your teammates. I wanted to see how you handle pressure."

"Mhm, yeah. I figured it was something like that that's why I kept my cool," Naruto nodded along with Ibiki. It took all my strength to not call him out on his bull like I loved so often to do.

"The first nine questions on the test were difficult. In fact, as you all realized, too difficult for any genin to solve. I imagine most of you quickly came to the conclusion that you had to cheat for any chance of passing. The fact is, the test was designed to encourage you to cheat. It almost demanded it. Of course, it would have done you little good unless you had someone to cheat from so I disguised two chunin who already knew the answers and had them sit in with you."

On cue, two chunin stood from their positions in the crowd and took a bow. They could easily fool us as nothing stood out that gave any signs they weren't clueless genin like the rest of us.

Naruto waved off Ibiki. "Oh, come on. I wasn't fooled for a second. You have to be a complete doofus not to see it, isn't that right, Hinata?" Hinata staggered with her reply.

"If you wanted us to cheat, you should have made the questions harder." Mae confidently spoke, pushing her glasses up her nose. "These questions were so easy to answer, I had time to write the answers down in six different languages."

One of the disguised chunin walked over to examine Mae's test. "She right. They're all correct- even the other languages. She even corrected one of the answers I got wrong."

"That's our lil genius," Leda gave Mae a thumbs up. "Too smart for her own stinkin' good."

Mae stared at me with pride as I discreetly looked away. Mae was now a threat to others and with the whole fiasco, I was trying to stay under the radar.

"I see, well those who were caught at it, failed. Better not to cheat than to cheat clumsily." Ibiki removed his leaf village bandana and no one could be prepared for what came next. A festering of scars and puncture wounds plagued the top of his hairless head. Many of them looked old, but there were fresher ones. Each one had a story— a painful story. "Information can be most valuable weapon in battle. How well you gather intelligence can determine whether a mission was a success or failure. There will be times you have to risk your live to get it."

"Of course, you have to consider your source of information. Enemy intelligence is not necessarily accurate. This information can be worse than no info at all. It can lead to the death of comrades or a loss of a village. There will be many missions where they will seem almost suicidal to even think about but you only think of the goal through courage and discipline. These are the qualities required of a chunin. Those who choose otherwise, those whose determination faults in the face of adversity- those who put their comrades' lives in jeopardy by worrying about their own, will never call themselves chunin – at least as long as I'm here."

His even tone and battle wounds left us silent. This wasn't about sporting a cool headband and being strong with various jutsu. This was about risking your life for people who couldn't defend themselves. It was putting your heart and your comrades' on the line every single day for the rest of your shinobi life. And that was exactly what I wanted to do.

"That's why I put you in the position where you had to gather accurate intelligence—cheat in order to survive. Those who weren't good at it were weeded out, leaving the rest of you. You have successfully answered the ten questions. You have passed through the first gate. I hereby declare this part of the chunin exam complete, there's nothing left but to wish you good luck—"

Ibiki was interrupted by a figure flipping through the window, scattering it. Sparks of glass coated the floor as a woman stood tall. She had light brown, pupil-less eyes and black hair that fanned out in a short ponytail. She wore a tan overcoat with a fitted mesh suit underneath and an orange skirt.

"Heads up boys and girls. This is no time to be celebrating. I'll be your next protector, Anko Mitarashi. Ready for the second test? Good! Then follow me!" No one could decide if she was being serious or was a complete loon.

"You're early… again," Ibiki groaned.

"How many are there?" Anko surveyed the room. "Ibiki… you let all these guys pass? Your test was too easy. You must be getting soft."

"Or it could be a strong crowd of candidates this year," Ibiki countered.

"Mmm, they don't look like it. Trust me, when I'm done with them— more than half will be eliminated."

"More than half? Really?" Mae said in curiosity.

"This is going to be fun." Anko stared at the squirming genin. "Alright, you maggots, things are about to be different. I'll have your squad leaders notified that you have made it this far." I couldn't tell what she was thinking behind her mysterious smirk. "Now then… follow me!"

* * *

"Woah, nice place. What is it?" Naruto said as the rest of us wondered the same question.

"This is the location of the second phase of the exam. It's the forty-fourth battle training zone, but we call it…" Anko did her mysterious smirk once more.

"…The Forest of Death."

* * *

**The 12 rookies passed the written exam! It was a little rocky, but Quorra made it with the help of Kakashi's rule. Speaking of Kakashi, what an interesting scene. Is that his brotherly, overprotective instincts taking over or...**

**Anyone catch the reference made in this chapter? I'll give you a hint, it's from a British comedy group. You get 10 brownie points if you do!**

***The French question said: Pass the butter, Pig. At least according to Google translate.**

**Next chapter reveals the name of the six-man squad. What do you think it is? Sakura is positive it's called The Sam Smith Lovers. Naruto didn't hate it; Leda punched her in the gut.**

**...**

**Thanks for reading! Favorite/ follow/ comment for more. You all mean so much to me! Peace.**

**XO**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **There are nerves during the second part of the exam so bad language may fly out of people's mouths

Thank you Jemmy and allonsyepicsnowman for your review/comment on my last chapter. The reference was Monty Python and I've seen the Holy Grail and bits of the Flying Circus. Also, I love when people post their theories. It's interesting to see other's thinking process!

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Asa-what?**

"Woah, nice place. What is it?" Naruto asked as the rest of us wondered the same question.

"This is the location of the second phase of the exam. It's the 44th battle training zone, but we call it…" Anko smirked once more. "…The Forest of Death."

"Forest of Death, huh? How welcoming," Leda said, sarcastically.

The Forest of Death was indeed that, a forest. Behind the massive chain gates stood trees that stretched even taller. The monstrosity was so dark, there was no way to see beyond the first set of trees. Its presence alone felt like it could eat me whole.

"This whole place completely creeps me out," Sakura stared wide-eyed.

"That's an understatement," I murmured.

"It should. It _is_ called the Forest of Death, after all. Soon you're going to find out why," Anko spoke fondly of the dreadful place.

"It's the Forest of Death. Soon you will find out why. Nah nah nah." Naruto mimicked in a nagging tone, shaking his hips. "Do your worse. You're not going to scare us away. Am I right?" he asked his partner in crime, Leda.

Leda, who was usually gung-ho at any opportunity to be cocky, remained quiet. She stared down the forest seriously.

Anko performed a sly smile. "So… it looks like we got ourselves a tough guy."

"I can handle anything," Naruto reassured.

A knife whipped quickly into view and Naruto jumped back, startled, as the kunai grazed his cheek. Blood seeped out of the wound quicker than it could coagulate.

Anko flashed behind the bugged-out shinobi. "You're not afraid, are you? Guys like you usually leave their blood all over this forest." She caressed Naruto's bleeding cheek. Admiring the beauty and fragility of the human body. We were all just pieces of meat.

Another ninja approached behind Anko. "Just returning your knife." Her long, snake-like tongue wrapped around the weapon. She was a grass ninja with long, straight black hair and a dead look in her eyes.

"Thank you, grass ninja." Anko's smile segued into a sharp look. "But, I would only recommend you stand this close behind me if you wish to reach a premature end."

"My pardon. With the sight of blood on your blade slicing through my hair, I'm afraid I just got a little excited. I meant you no harm." The Grass ninja's bloodlust drove shivers to my core. Being near this creepy forest and these creepy people was bad enough, but to have to _compete_ against them seemed impossible. I was being thrown into a pit filled with vultures.

"Likewise," Anko replied. "Seems like everyone today is quick tempered. Must be something in the air." She laughed at her not-so-funny joke and walked back to the front of the group leaving Naruto a fish out of water. "Alright you maggots, before we start the exam, I have something to hand out." She waved a bundle of papers in the air. "It's just a standard consent form. In order to take the test, all of you are going to have to read it over and sign it."

"What for?" Sasuke asked.

"Some of you might not come back from this and I have to get a consent to that risk. Don't want to be held responsible now!" she laughed as if she made the punchline. No one else found it as hilarious.

"I'll explain what you're doing on this test," Anko said as she handed Shikamaru the pile of papers to pass around. "The first thing you need to know is that it will test every one of your survival skills."

"Survival skills… what a drag," Shikamaru mumbled, passing the forms to me.

"The 44th battle field is a forest with 44 locked gates with rivers and other geological features inside. The test consists of an anything goes battle to get your hands on these scrolls." Anko held up two scrolls in her hand; one black, one white.

"Both of them?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes. You will be fighting to get both a Heaven scroll and an Earth scroll. Altogether, 26 teams will take part of this test. Half of those teams will be going after the Heaven scroll and the other half will be trying to get the Earth scroll. I'll randomly hand over one kind of scroll to each team."

"How do you pass the test?" Mae asked.

"You're entire squad must bring back both a Heaven and Earth scroll to the tower at the very center of the practice ground— 10km away from each gate."

"That means at the very best, half of us will fail. _More_ if not every team isn't able to get both scrolls," Sakura calculated.

"No one ever said it would be easy, Pinkie. Oh, and one more thing. The test has a time limit. You must finish it within five days."

"Five days out there!" Ino bugged.

"What are we supposed to do for food?!" Choji hugged a bag of potato chips he was currently eating.

"Just look around." Anko simply answered. "The forest is full of things. There's plenty to feed all of you."

"Yeah, but that's not all that the forest has plenty of," Kabuto countered with a grim look. "There are man-eating beasts and poisonous plants in there."

"Oh, man!" Choji whined.

"Quiet down," Kiba said, crassly. "This is why they call it survival."

"That means, with these circumstances, there's no way half the teams will pass the test," I added.

"With the days getting longer and the nights shorter, we will have less time to sleep… and less time to recover. It is a challenge, indeed," Lee spoke with intrigue.

"You will be completely surrounded by enemies. There won't be time to rest. We will have to keep a constant watch," Sasuke added.

"Right. This test also measures endurance behind enemy lines. This is designed to be a grueling test and I'm sure some of you won't be up to the challenge," Anko said.

"So let's say mid-exam, can we quit?" Shikamaru asked.

"Of course not," Anko looked at the lazy boy absurdly. "You can't say 'sorry, I quit' in the middle of a battle. Well… I guess you could, but it's probably going to get you killed."

"Great…" Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "This is going to be a drag."

"There are also some ways you can get disqualified. First," Anko held up her finger. "If all three members of the team can't make it to the tower. Number two, if the team doesn't have both scrolls after five days. And the third and most important… under _no_ circumstance can you look at the contents within the scrolls."

"What if it flops open and you happen to read it?" Naruto asked.

"Let me put it to you this way… you don't want to know." She wagged her finger. Naruto sighed disappointedly.

"The scroll rule is to test whether you can carry secret documents and test your integrity. Any questions? Good, each team take your consent forms to the hut over there. They will hand a scroll over in return. After that, each team pick a gate and you will be let inside."

The group was about to break up to review and sign their forms when Anko added, "And a word of advice… _just don't die!_"

* * *

Groups huddled in soft spoken voices while some individuals lingered on their own. Signing your life away was easier said than done. As for me, I fell in the middle – walking aimlessly, staring helpless at the wrinkled mess that was my consent form. Sasuke was hidden alongside a boulder and I decided to join him.

"I like your way of thinking," I told Sasuke, referring to his spot.

"I need some time to think," the Uchiha replied.

I nodded with grievance. "I think everyone does."

Leaning against the cold rock cooled my flared skin. I concentrated on the sensation as I finally got the courage to read over the form. Sasuke did the same, in a calm manner.

_I understand that this exam is to simulate a typical life of a shinobi. I understand the risk of performing in this exam could lead to fatal injury or death. If I do so die, I understand that it is in pride of my village._

"So enticing," I mumbled.

The jonin working the hut were setting up. A red curtain was drawn in front.

"We won't see which scroll a team is carrying or which team member has it," Sasuke observed.

"Stealing information is really a matter of life or death," I said, morbidly. "It makes me not want to sign that much more."

"You will be fine," Sasuke protested. "Everyone is going to be fine," referring to the six of us who have yet to come up with a proper group name for ourselves.

I peered over the rock to see my teammates. Leda was chatting with Naruto while Mae was talking to Kiba. "You can't really say that for sure," I countered. "You think that but you can't predict the future. Your eyes can't penetrate into that Death Pit."

"It's a Forest of Death," Sasuke corrected.

"Same difference. We still can get killed."

"We have to succeed. We have no other option." His brows furrowed.

"So you can have your revenge," I said, condescending.

"I need to get stronger. I must not lose. I can't."

"Revenge on who?" I tested him, hoping to finally get an answer.

"Look at all these people. All these ninjas we have to compete against. Every single one is my enemy."

A commotion withdrew us from our intimate conservation. Not too far away were Ino and her team, along with Sakura. Loud words were being exchanged by the long-haired kunoichi.

"You think they are giving some sweet words of encouragement?" I asked, hopelessly.

Sasuke chuckled. "Doubt it."

I breathed a heavy sigh, knowing I wasn't going to get any answers. With that, I haphazardly signed the form and got up. "Well, gotta go smash some skulls." I brushed the soot off.

"Later," he replied.

Before I left I added, "Oh, and be careful in there, will you? Don't fall for an ambush or get bitten by a poisonous snake or something, alright? I worry enough, but I believe in you so don't go fuckin' that up." I winked, hoping to make the topic more light-hearted than doom-and-gloom.

He smirked. "I'll try not to."

* * *

I joined Shikamaru and Choji to witness what exact shit show was going on.

"Well, well, well. Isn't it the little future failure," Ino spat. "What's up, Billboard Brow? I thought you would have washed out of the program by now. Your big forehead alone should have gotten you tossed."

Sakura had a talent of brushing off the blonde's harsh comments and bouncing back with some of her own insults, if you call that a talent. "So sad. You're jealous I get to spend five days with Sasuke and it's turning you into someone very petty and ugly. And you were already ugly. Ha."

"Enough! Give it up, Sakura. We both know you are too weak to pass this test."

"Yeah, right. You're the one who's going down!" She stroked her luscious pink locks.

They glared at each other with evil. If lightening could shoot out of their eyes, the electricity would be enough to power a village. Shikamaru and Choji cowered besides me, freaked out by the women's estrogen.

I rolled my eyes at the sight. _Will they ever stop obsessing over Sasuke and insulting each other, _I thought. I was afraid I already knew the answer.

Since Shikamaru and Choji weren't stepping up to the plate, I did. "Alright, girls. Come on now. Save your energy for the exam."

They eyes both glared at me like daggers. I would be lying if I said it didn't freak me out some. After the initial shock; however, Sakura's expression calmed.

"Yeah, you're right," Sakura said. "Sorry about that, Quorra."

Ino wasn't as thankful. "Mmph. Some are sorrier than others. Sakura giving up so easily just proves my point that she isn't cut out for this exam." She crossed her arms with attitude.

My patience for 'Blonde Bimbos', as Leda puts it, was on a shorter lease than usual today. Let's just blame it on pre-examination jitters. "Maybe you should be focusing all that spunk of yours on forming strategic plans with your teammates. This is the Forest of _Death_, not 'Who's the prettiest and can spend the most time with Sasuke test'."

Ino bite her tongue as I gently hooked my arm with Sakura and escorted her away.

"I wish that bitch would lose her voice again," Ino grumbled.

I didn't reply to her petty comment. Showing her my good friend the middle finger as I walked away sufficed plenty.

* * *

As I guided the hot-headed Sakura away from Ino, a blur rocketed towards me. If I didn't catch him at the last moment, Akamaru would have knocked me down.

I laughed as Akamaru slobbered my face. "Okay, I get it. I surrender! Uncle, uncle!"

Kiba came trotting over. Mae was close behind. "That's enough, boy. I think she gets it."

The pup wagged his tail with glee and returned to his owner. "That was your punishment for sending him to slobber all over me during the written."

"Oh shucks, you got me." I laughed, jokingly. "I just asked Akamaru to give you the biggest, wettest kiss in thanks for helping me. I own you big time."

Kiba's face turned red instantly as he laughed, rather uncomfortably. I couldn't see why this was weird to him. His dog drooled and slobbered over him all the time. No matter the reason, he was starting to make me uncomfortable. Mae even looked uncomfortable— though I couldn't fathom why.

The dog-lover scratched the back of his head. "It was nothing, really. I mean, that's what friends are for. You were choking out there."

"I wouldn't say I was choking," I gave him a dirty look. "I would have eventually found a way to cheat and kick your ass while doing it." The bluff fell short, losing its spark and punch. It was less convincing than I hoped for.

If Kiba didn't buy it, he didn't say. "But, you really shouldn't thank me. Mae was the one who gave me the answers." His thumb gestured to the blue-eyed girl standing next to him. Akamaru barked agreeably.

"Mae did?" I couldn't hold back my shock.

"How'd you do that?" Sakura asked.

Mae stuttered with embarrassment. "Dogs can hear higher frequencies. I was able to whistle at a high enough frequency that only Kiba and Akamaru could hear. I wrote the answers on a scrap of paper, whistled for Akamaru, slipped it under his collar and… yeah."

"The rest was history! She's a genius!" Kiba smiled broadly. Mae's cheeks turned shades of pink, easily matching the color of Sakura's hair.

_That explained the OCD neat handwriting_, I realized. As happy as I was that Mae was being complimented by her long-time crush, I couldn't knock off the feeling of abandonment. Kiba wasn't her team members, _I _was. She was supposed make sure that Leda and myself had the answers. We're supposed to have each other's back. We were to come first, not some boy you have obsessively strong feelings for.

What I did next was completely impulsive. Maybe I did it because I wanted to say thanks to a close friend. Maybe I wanted to punish Mae for not helping me. I had no clue what I was doing it until my arms and body meet with Kiba's for an embrace.

"Thank you anyway, Kiba. You didn't have to do it, but you did it anyway," I said in the crook of his neck, followed by a kiss on the cheek.

Kiba stood rigid at first, like he was a sergeant at military camp. But soon, he snapped out of his sudden shock and wrapped his rubberized arms around my waist. Needless to say, it was a beyond awkward, pre-teen, opposite sex hug. I didn't pay much mind. Mae stared with shock, but again, I wasn't bothered. My head was too into the exam. I was officially in fight-or-flight mode.

"I hope you and your team luck," I told Kiba. "Watch out for us. We tend to kick major ass."

He stumbled to say proper words, but I didn't give him a chance to spill them. "Let's get our scroll already," I commanded Mae sharply. "Get Leda."

"Oh, oh." Mae said, flustered. "R-right."

* * *

Mae gathered Leda and we headed towards the hut. We decided as a team that Mae was the proper person to hold the scroll. Leda's reasoning was that she "didn't want to be the blame when she loses it." Leda and I both agreed that Mae, being the all-knowing one, would have a few tricks up her sleeve if something went down. Mae took the Heaven scroll and hid it accordingly.

We were assigned to pick a gate and wait for the call to begin. Team Seven stood by gate 12 and Team 13 thought it was only appropriate to stand at gate 13.

"Who says 13 isn't a lucky number?" Leda said.

"All the people in the world who are superstitious," Mae answered.

"I know… I was joking. It's called being sarcastic."

"It may be an unlucky number for some, but it will be good luck for us," I reassured.

Leda rolled her eyes. "Whatever floats your boat, Q."

The two teams huddled one last time before the exam started. Both stood with mixed feelings.

"Well, this is it," Sakura said, nervously. "Good luck in there… with all the shinobi… and prey."

"Luck? I don't need luck!" Naruto exclaimed.

"It's alright to be a bit nervous… right?" Mae said, almost ashamed to admit it.

"A nice ass and big tits won't save you in this place," Leda confirmed.

"Yeah, like Leda said. Who wouldn't be?" Sakura reassured Mae. "We are just rookies after all."

"Rookies, mookies. I'm gonna get the Earth scroll, race to the tower, and cream everyone in record time, believe it!" Naruto yelled.

"Shut up, you idiot. Just announce it to the whole world, why don't cha?" Sakura hissed, shutting the boy up with knuckle to his blonde head.

"What? All I said was to get the Earth—"

"Keep quiet, you loser," Sasuke snapped, giving a dirty sideways glance.

"Sasuke," Naruto growled. "You just want me to keep quiet so you can take all the glory!" Their feud was fuel to the fire that ignited the rest of the group. Each and every one of them blew up with words of frustration and distaste. I told them to stop, but my voice got lost to the sea of hate.

"Cut it out!" I screamed. "Why is everyone arguing?"

"Cause we're fucked worse than the Kylie Jenner lip challenge," Leda answered.

"We are not fucked more than whoever you mentioned."

"How are we supposed to do this?" Mae asked with dismay. "How are we supposed to compete with all of this?"

I understood Leda and Mae's concern. Up to this very moment, I was hesitant and self-doubting. But I was tired of going back and forth about being confident in myself. I was ready, once and for all. "True, but we wouldn't be here now if we weren't worthy of it," I announced. "We are worthy," I reassured to everyone, but more importantly, to myself. "I believe in each of you…in our team… in myself."

The five were silent as they waited for me to continue. The spotlight made me uncomfortable, wishing I could slip out of the limelight, but I couldn't do that. This needed to be done. This needed to be said. "We have worked too hard for this to start bickering now." Mae gave me a disagreeing look. Her brow scrunched, her mouth twisted.

"We made it to the second part of the Chunin exams; an exam that few have passed and even fewer that will stay. All the rookies have made it this far. People looked down at us, stared as they judged us for making a scene in the waiting room."

Sakura cleared her throat, disapprovingly.

"Okay… they judged us after _I _made a scene, but we are still here. And do you know why?"

"Because we're good cheaters?" Sakura asked.

"Because Naruto was stupid enough not to raise his hand without ever realizing the whole point of the test was to cheat?" Sasuke answered.

"Hey! I should—" Naruto growled.

"Quiet!" I interrupted the impulsive boy. "It was because we stuck together as a team. We had faith in each other even when we didn't necessarily know what to do." I stared at Leda and Naruto. Naruto puffed out smoke. Leda crossed her arms and pretended not to care.

I didn't stop there. "Sakura, you knew Naruto was choking, didn't you? Yet, you didn't raise your hand when Ibiki asked who was ready to leave."

"That's true, but –"

"But, why? Why didn't you? It was because you believed in Naruto, as oblivious as he may be."

"Hey!" Naruto opposed. Sakura's lip pressed in a firm line.

"And Leda, you were drawing penises for fuck's sakes on your paper. You clearly didn't know what to do, why didn't you raise your hand?"

Leda shrugged, avoiding eye contact. "But, come on, you got to admit those drawings were pretty rad."

I ignored Leda with an eye roll. "Because you believed Mae and I would save your ass and we didn't raise our hand because we believed in you and your phallic drawings."

That last statement caught Leda's attention. Her eyes were fire as she stared deeply at me. Like she was ready to take over the world. Everyone slowly looked that way as well. Naruto was an inferno; he was unstoppable.

Within minutes, we went from chaotic mess to a mess that was ready to fight. I couldn't help but smile when a thought suddenly came to me. "We're in this together. We are the Asanoha after all."

"Asa-who-a?" Naruto questioned, clearly confused.

"It's a popular hemp leaf design used on kimonos," Mae said.

"Hemp leaf? What does that got to do with us?" Naruto asked.

"The asanoha is a six pointed leaf shape pattern," I explained. "Each point represents the six of us and the separate paths we will take in life. Sometimes we will be apart, others times our paths will cross only to go our separate ways once more. But all six of us and our paths make the beauty of the pattern. We solidify each other."

"The Asanoha, huh?" Sasuke said.

"It does have a nice ring to it," Sakura admitted.

"I still like The Six Skullcrushers… but Asanoha is 'ight too," Leda smirked.

"To The Asanohas!" Naruto yelled, playing his hand into the center of the circle.

One by one, five more hands entered the circle. "To the Asanohas!"

"Let's fuck shit up," Leda yelled.

"Believe it!" I yelled.

"Alright heads up, you maggots. The second part of the test is about to begin," Anko barked. We nodded affirmatively and head to our separate gates.

Anko was happily eating a skewer of dumplings. A huge smile reached her face as she took another bite. "Mmm, these are so good." She was so mesmerized with her treat, she forgot she had a job to do. "Oh, right. Yeah, begin!" She waved off as she chowed down at her food addiction.

The gates opened and all 26 team simultaneously dashed inside. Well, almost everyone as I trip over the first visible branch and face planted into the soil.

"Smooth," Leda laughed.

"I tripped over my shoelace," I countered.

"Shinobi shoes don't have shoelaces," Mae rolled her eyes.

"Fuck me," I spoke into the dirt.

_What a great start._

* * *

**Signing the consent form was a little difficult for Quorra. But the newly formed Team Asanoha were ready to fight. Quorra finds out how Kiba cheated. Did Quorra have the right to feel hurt or should she be happy for Mae and move on? Did you think that hug/ kiss for Kiba was rightly justified?**

**This chapter may not of had much action but it was a very foreshadow riddled chapter!**

**Next chapter will be the showdown; life inside the Forest of Death. I outlined some of it already, and guys, it's going to be intense. If you like angst, fighting, and more unsolved mysteries then stay tuned! **

**...**

**Thanks for reading!**

**XO**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Much angered cursing.

Thank you Guest for your review/comment on my last chapter. I think a lot of people ship Quorra and Kiba, but we will see what happens!

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Evil Eye**

After my not-so-graceful fall, we raced into the forest. Even though we left at mid-afternoon, it might as well have been nightfall. It was even darker and scarier on the inside as it was on the outside. It felt like I was in the middle of Halloweentown.

"This place gives me the heebie-jeebies," Mae admitted.

"It's certainly creepy," I agreed.

"Hold up, guys," Leda called.

Mae and I skidded to a halt. "What's up?"

Leda jabbed her thumb towards the nearby trees. "Gotta take a deuce."

"A what?" Mae asked.

Leda rolled her eyes. "Gotta lay a Stanley Steamer."

"What are you steaming?"

"Oh, fuckin' hell. I got to take a massive shit. You happy now?" Leda was exacerbated.

"We're not even ten minutes into this thing," I complained. "Why didn't you go before we started?"

Leda threw her arms up in annoyance. "Well, excuse me if I didn't want to interrupt your moving speech with my backed up plumbing."

"That's disgusting." Mae didn't like when Leda talked like a dirty pirate.

"Whatever. I'll be right back, nature calls," she sang. Before we could counter, she was gone.

I shrugged at Mae. Got to go when you got to go, right?

* * *

What should have only took minutes, stretched from five to ten to more.

"What's taking her so long?" I asked, just as concerned as Mae.

"I don't know. What if she got lost?" Mae bit her nails with nervousness. "I hope she's alright."

"Why don't we split up and search the premises. You go that way and I'll go this way and we will meet up at this tree," I directed and walked off. Mae's mouth formed a tight line, but didn't say anything.

Together we searched our area for the loud mouth, but it was no use. She was nowhere to be found. We were worn out already from walking around in circles and it's only been the first hour.

I sighed. "And I work so hard to keep Leda out of trouble, too."

"Yeah… okay," Mae mumbled in a tone that sounded condescending.

I didn't understand the sudden attitude. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. It's just that I don't agree with you." She folded her arms in a defensive pose. As if _I _was the one accusing her of something.

"And what part of what I just said do you not agree with?" I stared at her with narrow eyes.

"You working hard," she retorted.

It felt like a slap in the face by my own teammate. "Are you accusing me of being a slacker?"

"I'm just saying you don't know what hard work is, not truly," Mae shrugged.

I thought my jaw was going to fall to the ground, leaving me as a jawless goon. "I think I know more than anyone what hard work is." My voice tinged with spice. It was heated, scorching as the words left my lips.

Mae's temper was rising as well. Whatever feelings she had been repressing was ready to be released. "You have no clue what it's like to work hard. You don't know the pressures of being the protégée in the family. The amount of criticism I constantly get for not being perfect. How much I have to fucking train and study day in and day out."

I was taken aback by her angered tone. She was never one to raise her voice, let alone curse.

"And do you want to know how I'm congratulated for my hard work? A pat on the back, a fucking pat on the back. I wasn't born a fucking genius, you know. No one ever acknowledges the _work _it takes to be a genius. My family treats me like an outsider, like a piece of filth, unless I won something or aced something else."

"Well, _sorry,_" I spat. "At least you have a family. You have someone to go home to. I have no one."

"So what?" she countered. "Sasuke and Naruto don't have families either and you don't see them getting special treatment like you do. And all you do is show up and say a few nice words, "protect" a few people from petty fights, kiss a few asses and everyone is head over heels for you. What do Kakashi, Sensei, the Hokage, Kiba— everyone see in you to treat you like you're all-worthy?"

"Is this what this is all about? You're jealous of Kiba and I's friendship?"

Her face turned red, whether from rage or embarrassment was uncertain. "This is about everyone. You get praised for doing _nothing._ You even become a shinobi without finishing school nor performing an in-class final exam. The Hokage practically threw the position at you; you didn't _earn _it. I studied for the exam for weeks and all the Hokage said was that I got the highest grade, whoopty-doo. While you got praised for being a hero and how you will win the hearts of others and for what? How is it fair that while others struggle, everything has been handed to you on a gold platter?"

"How dare you—"

"It's because they feel bad for you." She answered her own question. "The poor girl that lost her memory was pampered with food, shelter and praised for the smallest things."

"You have no idea what I had to go through." My voice was trembling. I could barely think clearly. "Awakening in a storm, soaked, clueless of what I am or where I was. The number of attempts it took just to walk. I couldn't even fucking talk! Do you know how frustrating it is to want to say something and you can't? I had to do hand signals or write in a pad just to ask a person if they want to get food with me. I had _nothing, _I had _no one._"

"Boo-fucking-hoo. People have had worse. People have suffered way more and still did everything everyone else had to do. They got no shortcuts."

"Because starting from square one is a shortcut." The words spilled out like venom. "Being in a new place, with strange people, being with myself— a practical stranger. Not understanding the things I know and the things I don't know. Having vivid, grueling nightmares that wake me up screaming, crying at times, and begging them to stop. I train every day, every fucking day. To become stronger, to become more confident in myself— who I doubt a lot of the time may I add. But all I have to live for is my future. I want to save people from the pain that I have to endure every god forsaken day. If that isn't hard work, then you're right, I don't have a clue what hard work is."

Mae was about to retaliate, but I cut her short.

"And for being such a genius, it doesn't take one to know that it was pretty hurtful of you to give those "easy" answers to Kiba. What kind of teammate are you? He isn't even on your team!"

"I was going to give you the answers, too," she muttered.

"Bullshit. All you care about is creating a reason for Kiba to talk to you. And I still had the audacity to be happy for you, even when you threw Leda and myself under the bus! If Kiba didn't help me, I would have rose my hand and we wouldn't even be here right now. Doesn't that faze you?"

"Fuck you, Quorra," she struggled to say. Her lips were trembling.

"No, fuck you, Mae. Do you know what? I think this is all because you are jealous Kiba talks to me while he ignores you. You can't stand it." The words stung Mae, but I didn't have the passion nor sympathy to take the words back.

"While you stand here bickering about your problems, I'm going to find Leda, _my teammate_," I declared and took off before Mae could reply.

* * *

I soon came to realize that I was alone. Very alone in a very dark forest.

"Curse Mae and her stupidity. How could she believe all those things," I mumbled to myself.

The more times I repeated the argument, the more Mae's words started to made sense. I struggled every day, becoming stronger, wiser – or so I thought. Did people really hand everything over on a gold platter? Did they just feel bad for me? Kakashi saving me, the Hokage granting me my wish of coming a shinobi, Kiba becoming my friend— Team Seven liking me. Was it all just an act of pity?

I tried to shake the hurtful thoughts out of my mind. It was no time to be thinking irrationally, not when I had to be on high-alert. My life here was in constant danger, but the thought lingered like an insect stuck in a spider's web. It kicked and squirmed to be freed, but it was trapped in silver thread. Its faith was being devoured by an eight-legged carnivore.

Suddenly, a creature came into view as I skidded to a halt. It was perched on a fallen log, eating something. Its back was facing me, but it seemed to be a type of monkey or primate. The animal wasn't too big, roughly knee-height. The fur was black and long but stuck out at odd directions like the little guy was suffering from a case of bed head.

_Monkeys are generally harmless,_ I thought. _They keep to themselves unless agitated. _

I walked backwards to give the primate its space. A branch snapped loudly under my foot, alerting the hairy fellow. The animal's head snapped towards my direction and I was horrified to learn that this was not any ordinary primate. Two demonic black eyes glared at me with a third on the forehead, not synchronizing with the other two. The third eye, the evil eye, had a black sclera but a white pupil, the negative imagine of the norm. It looked mad, erratic, like a hornet's nest, looking in all directions, not able to force on a single point. Long, dark lashes empathized the dark, eeriness all the more.

Primates were indeed omnivores, eating both plants and meat, but focus their diet on plants and fruits since they do not tend to hunt. This monkey was indulging on something fresh and it wasn't fruit. The neck of a deer was teared open, in its human-like hands. Its esophagus and tendons bleed in a thick syrup. The poor prey's eyes were wide and lifeless, but it wasn't dead. Its thin, boney legs kicked, trying to desperately escape. Moaning left the animal's mouth, a mix of groans and gurgles as its voice box was ripped out. This wasn't an infant deer, either. It wasn't the runt of the pack or a deer who got lost from its mother. This was a full-grown buck with a massive rack that branched and stretched wider than my arm span.

To take down a deer that size, a predator would need agility, size, power— none of what the small monkey seemed to possess.

But I was wrong, I was way wrong as it stared at me with vengeance. The creature was angered by my interruption of his exquisite dinner— or was it just a snack?

The beast growled at me as the strip of muscle in his sharp jaws contracted, the cells still communicating to each other – sending electrical shocks, praying to move.

Seeing the fresh red blood made my stomach churn. Blood dribbled down its neck, staining his pearly white, red. The fur around the mouth and neck were matted with guts, blood and who knew what else.

As delightful has his dinner must have been, he was preoccupied with something else, something far more enjoyable. The creature thrust his head upwards and let out a horrendous screech. He pounded his chest, angrily— desperate for attention.

He signaled for his family and friends as many, _many_ more started to appear. In the trees, they came— all with three eyes and black fur. These; however, were much larger and more aggressive looking than the first. That one was only the baby! The adults stood at waist height, maybe even taller. They also shared something else with the original monkey, they shared the same look as if I was their next victim.

"Fuck," I cursed and sprinted away at top speed. Hordes of these fowl, uncanny creatures came speeding behind.

Their battle cries rung violently in my ears, becoming louder, getting closer. Many took the trees, swinging and jumping, while other stuck to the grounds, proving to be just as fast.

I knew there was no way I could fight them all. I wasn't stupid. The only way I could make it out of this thing alive was to miraculously lose them. How to do that, I did not know. My brain was barely functioning to move forward. Not tripping over a log or stone was already a miracle within itself.

The monkeys, or whatever they were, in the trees started to get ahead of me. Directly under them, I could clearly see why they were so incredibly fast. They didn't exactly leap through the trees, they soared. A membrane of thin skin connected from the elbow to the hip, functioning as a wing as they glided.

_Since when did primates have wings?_ I questioned in horror._ They didn't teach you that in evolutionary class!_

I suddenly, tragically, realize something that never crossed my mind. Just yards away and rapidly coming closer, was a cliff. A sheer drop that, based off the loud rushing waters, led directly into a river. It made the already bad situation that much worse.

_Fuck. _It was either death by three-eyed, freak-a-zoid monkey horde or by the rapids, which, knowing my luck, probably had alligators the size of mountains waiting for me. Whatever decision I made, I wanted to be certain of it.

I took a sharp right in hopes to lose some of them. Maybe that third eye fucks up their ability to make sharp turns, when I tripped on a root that camouflaged playfully behind tall grass. The unleveled grounded caused me to tumble. The sounds of screams warped in my ears as I rolled until I couldn't roll anymore. Before I knew it, I was mid-air off the cliff I was desperately avoiding. The creatures were not stupid enough to follow as they perched at the cliff side and hollered. Many shook their fists and beat their chest.

I hit the water with such an impact, the shock and bitter cold froze my limbs. The waves took me under and before I knew it, I was welcomed with darkness.

* * *

The tranquil water brushed against me as the white loam caressed my skin. My eyes fluttered open to find myself washed ashore; my legs still emerged in the water. The raging river chewed me up and spat me out downstream, leaving me more lost than I was before.

Soaked, I pulled my body fully to shore. I patted my pockets to check my inventory and sighed with relief to find I wasn't raided. No one seemed to have found me or they presumed I was dead. Either was possible as my skin had a blue hue; a result of being in frigid water for so long.

It suddenly hit me as I recalled why I was in the water in the first place. The bloodthirsty primates drove me off the cliff side into the rapids. In all honesty, I was lucky to be alive. Drowning would have been easy and who knew what festered in these waters.

Learning that I wasn't knocked out for long as it wasn't nightfall, I dragged my dripping-wet body solid, dry ground.

"Man, that sucked," I complained, ringing out my hair. "If I ever run into those beasts again, I swear I will—"

My words were cut off by the sounds of someone else and I instinctively dove for cover, collecting leaves in my damp hair.

Peering through the brush, I realized the sound was not by one person but many. Two teams, six shinobi, faced off against each other. The group closest to me, I didn't recognize. Their backs were towards me, but I could tell they were older and probably stronger. They faced a team that was from the sand village. A short boy with red hair and a large gourd on his back, stood by his two teammates with his arms crossed, irritated.

_Gaara. _My heart skipped an uncomfortable beat.

"Can you believe the nerve of these kids challenging us head on like this?" Spoke a man with poles strapped to his back.

"Yeah, they're fools," replied his teammate.

"Too bad kids. You should have picked your opponents better. Now you all are going to die."

"I've heard enough out of you. Let's make this quick. I don't want to waste time on this guy." Gaara spoke with such confidence that it stood out as cocky. To think that he was that self-assured intimidated me. The opponents growled in annoyance. They were underestimating the sand shinobi because of their age.

"Hey, Gaara. Doesn't it make more sense to follow up on these punks and gather information first? I mean, if they have the same type of scroll as us, we are just fighting an unnecessary battle," Kankuro questioned.

Gaara's answer was quick and to the point. "I don't care. They looked at me the wrong way, so they are going to die."

"If you think you can kill us, then try it!" The leader of the opposing team yelled. He pulled the poles that were actually umbrellas out from his holster. The angered opponent threw his umbrellas up and they hovered in the sky. I never saw a weapon like this.

"Ninja art, senbon rain storm," he yelled in his final hand pose. The umbrellas spun wildly as a rainstorm of needles sprayed. It was angrier than a bothered porcupine.

Up, down, left, right— there was nowhere to hide. My prior hiding spot left me exposed and I ended up diving to the nearest tree to avoid the livid quills. I dodged just in time to miss a senbon that was impaled the tree, inches from my face.

"There are no blind spots in this jutsu," the man reassured as he directed the needles towards Gaara. A barrage of metal poured onto him.

Dirt was kicked up into the air and my sight of him was obscured. I couldn't help, but wonder the outcome. _Is he alright? Why am I worried if he is okay?_

The dirt cloud lifted to show another ungodly sight. A sand shell that was penetrated by thousands of needles, covering the red-haired boy. Gaara stood inside, untouched, and definitely maddened.

"A wall of sand?" the man was as clueless as I was.

"That's right. It's a defense mechanism," Kankuro explained. "He carries around all that sand in the gourd he has on his back. When he's attacked, he uses the power of his chakra to harden the sand. It's a jutsu only Gaara can do and somehow it happens automatically."

"Is that all you can do?" Gaara asked, insulted if the answer was true.

By the reaction of the wielder, I would say yes. "It can't be," the man spoke, flabbergasted. "Impossible." He threw his hands into position once more and sent another barrage of needles at Gaara. The sand moved instantly.

_Gaara wasn't using a jutsu to move the sand. It's like the sand is working instinctually. _I thought. _How can that be?_

"A senbon rainstorm? I have a better idea. Let's make it rain blood instead," Gaara suggested. For the first time, he threw his hands into a triangular pose. "Sand coffin." His animated sand wrapped around his enemy in an enlarged cocoon. The umbrellas that were mid-air moments before came crashing down like jousting sticks.

"I can't move," the shinobi said. "Let… let me go!" He was losing his breath as the sand suffocated him, like a serpent.

"All I have to do is cover your big mouth and you'll be dead." Gaara grabbed and unstuck one of the umbrellas and opened it like an actual umbrella. "But that would be too easy, too boring."

With his free hand, he moved his hand, sending the man and sand mass into the air. Higher and higher he rose, struggling as the sand suffocated him.

Gaara had a look of pure rage, like it had been his life goal to take revenge on this guy. I had never seen that much hatred in a person before. It made James' expressions when he talked about his hatred for shinobi, mediocre.

The man begged and pleaded for his life, but it was no use. Gaara had made his choice.

"Sand burial!" Gaara squeezed his hand together and the sand did the same. Squeezing the screaming shinobi with such force that he was pulverized. All that was left of him was, like Gaara promised, a rain of blood and sand.

I couldn't believe what I just witnessed as the black blood/sand mixture slopped onto my shoulder. Even when it sprayed my face, I was too awestruck to close my eyes. How merciless. The dead's teammates shivered uncontrollably.

Gaara causally tilted the umbrella, leaving him stain-free from the organ soup. "There wasn't any pain. I crushed him with more force than necessary so it was over quickly. The corpse's bitter tears flow and mingle with the endless sand, feeding the chaos within me. Making me stronger."

"Just take the scroll. Go on," the corpse's teammate said, placing a Heaven scroll on the ground.

"Yes, take it. Please spare us!" cried the other.

Gaara was wordless as he flung the umbrella aside and threw both hands up. At that precise moment, arms of sand with _actual_ sand hands, rose from the ground and wrapped around the two teammates. They screamed and panicked appropriately, but their cries will never be heard as the sand squeezed them into oblivion.

I was frozen by the sight. This wasn't how shinobi were supposed to fight. They were to defend with honor, not have a killing spree. It was obvious his obsession with blood was no laughing matter.

Kankuro walked to the scroll, the only thing left from the deceased team. "We got lucky. It's a Heaven scroll," he picked it up and smiled. "Alright, let's head to the tower."

"It's not… it's still not enough for me." Gaara's black-trimmed eyes looked maniac.

"Come on. Gaara. Let's just go," Kankuro suggested.

"What are you scared, coward?" Gaara antagonized.

"Look, Gaara. I know this test is no problem for you, but it's dangerous for Temari and I. One set of scrolls is good enough. It's all we need to pass."

Gaara didn't like being pushed around. "Losers can't tell me what to do."

Kankuro's patience had reached its limit. He grabbed a fistful of Gaara's shirt. "Alright, that's enough. Sometimes you have to listen to what your big brother says."

"It's too bad I don't think of you as my big brother at all," Gaara said, without any doubt in his voice. "If you get in my way, I will kill you." He slapped Kankuro's hand away and stuck out his hand once more, in a fighting stance.

"Wait, hold on." Temari held her hand up defensively. "You don't have to treat us like the enemy. Just do it for your sister… please?"

_What in the world is he?_ I thought. To threaten enemies was one thing, but to threaten your teammates and family was something on a whole other playing field. Could something this cruel be from my nightmares? What does he have to do with me, if anything?

I almost turned around, left from where I came, but both the freight and my indecisiveness held me back. I promised myself that I would take any presentable leads to discover more of myself, and my past. If I ducked out now after such a promise, I would be a liar. And worse, I would be a coward. I needed to find out; I needed to talk to Gaara.

And my wish might come true sooner than I planned as a snake of sand slivered around my waist.

* * *

**And the Forest of Death finally begins. Right of the bat, Leda is missing. Was she kidnapped? Mae and Quorra had a heated argument that left Quorra doubting the people she cared about. Did Mae have a point? Was it fair to say Quorra was getting everything handed to her? After three-eyed monkeys sent Quorra off the cliff, she bumps into a fearsome Gaara. Now that she is trapped in Gaara's sand, what do you think he will do to her? Do the same thing he did to his enemies?**

**This chapter was fun to write. It was something different between writing an argument piece and a gory one.**

**Thank you for taking the time to read my story! Hope I left you wanting more!**

**xo**


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **CUR$ING.

Thank you allonsyepicsnowman and Jemmy for your review/comment on my last chapter. I will check out your recommendations, thanks!

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Whispering Serpent**

And my wish might come true sooner than I planned when a snake of sand slivered around my waist. His offensive stance wasn't for his siblings as they initially feared; it was for me. I gasped with shock as the coils tightened and ripped me out of my, apparently, terrible hiding spot.

Gaara used his sand bending skills to summon me forward. Hovering, I squirmed as everything waist-down crystallized with sand. My lower half was immobile; arms pinned to my sides.

"Well, well. It seems we have ourselves a little spy," Kankuro tsk'ed. His smirk was genuine, but his eyes said it all: he was relieved Gaara's attack wasn't for him.

"I wasn't spying." I kept my voice steady, even though my thoughts were running wild.

"No? What do you call hiding in the shrubs, then?" Kankuro looked at me like I was below him, an ant.

This angered me which made me swallow my fear and apt up my boldness. "I stumbled into the scene. It's called observing."

"Observing, huh?" Kankuro wasn't nearly convinced. A sense of recognition appeared across his face as his eyes scrunched. "I've seen you before. You were with that Uchiha kid and those brats."

"Hey, I remember that. Didn't you make a huge scene in the waiting room to the written exam, too?" Temari added. Her hand was placed on her hip.

"R-right. Now I remember. A bratty little fire cracker you are." Kankuro smiled. I spat at him. Even if true, no one was going to downgrade me and get away with it, despite the sand wrapping tighter around me with each passing second.

Kankuro wiped his face with disgust. "You little-"

"I don't care about any of those things," Gaara bombarded. "All I want is blood." He was hungry, a Mad Hatter for blood. His thirst was almost palatable.

I ignored his bloodthirsty look. "I'm looking for my friend. She's tall, fire red hair that's in a ponytail, light brown eyes… full of attitude."

"I remember her." Kankuro nodded, smile perverted. "The brat who mooned everyone. I know where you can find her." His purple painted face stretched into a larger grin. "At the bottom of a ditch as she's probably as good as dead."

"You shut your mouth before I shut it for-" my words were cut short as the sand coils tightened, smothering my breath short.

"I said _I don't care_," Gaara said, furiously. His short patience was shrinking. "I just want blood." His tongue rolled with the word, like he could taste it.

Gaara was so close to getting what he wanted. All he needed was a squeeze of the palm. One more gesture and I would be added to the blood bath— more like blood ocean.

My features were smooth, expressionless like a china doll– despite my heart pounding, struggle to keep me alive. "Go ahead. You would be intrigued with my blood." The vampire would love my onyx blood. I laughed to myself of the irony. His desire for blood and my desire to find phantom eyes that I was convinced were real. Both obsessions were unhealthy.

His eyes bore into mine, studying me. A sea of foam glowed bright with the sharp contrast of his porcelain skin and crimson hair. His darkly lined eyes made them pop that much more.

"You aren't scared." It was more a statement than a question.

Unlike the shinobi from before, I wasn't screaming or pleading for my life nor praying for God or some upper entity to show me mercy. The truth was, being in this close proximity was proving to be helpful. Yes, I was in mortal danger, but I was closer to confirming my nightmare, confirming Gaara were the eyes. Proving that I wasn't crazy, that my nightmares weren't figments of my vivid imagination. It was complete suicide, but what can I say, curiosity killed the cat.

"No." I was determined.

"You should be scared," Kankuro lectured. "Gaara is the ruler of sand, the God of the Desert. You will never live to see another day, you -"

"Shut up," Gaara snapped.

"I am scared," I confirmed. "But not of you."

"Of what then." There he went again, asking in a commanding tone rather than questioningly. His expression stone cold.

"I'm scared of what I don't know. I'm scared of the Unknown." I was aware of Gaara, his dangerous persona. It was obvious - obvious his yearnings.

"What do you mean?" Gaara looked at me intrigued. The blood lust was still present in his eyes, but there was a twinkle of curiosity. Like he never talked to his dinner prior to quenching his thirst before.

"Don't listen to this bitch. Just kill her so we can go to the tower already," Kankuro whined.

"I said shut up, Kankuro. Or else I will kill you first."

"I'm scared of my past … and its monsters." And that was the truth. Unidentifiable monsters haunted me at night, filling me with visions and thoughts that I don't understand. They may be from my past, they may not. Finding answers was the only way. And the worse part was, Unknown could be me.

"Monsters…" he repeated under his breath, too quiet for his siblings to hear. It had a tinge of understanding. His hushed voice sounded hurt as if he spent his whole life running from monsters. "And why shouldn't I kill you?"

"Because…" I trailed off and not from lack of breath as Gaara's sand still strangled me. All I saw now were his eyes, mesmerized. Everything else became nothing, became a nuisance. Like my nightmares, the pupil-less green glowed in the darkness. They gave a familiar comfort, but terrified me at the same time.

"Because I can't die..." Yanking on my sandy imprisonment, I managed to pull my arm out. Without subconsciously understanding what I was doing and how dangerous it was, I reached for Gaara. Those were the eyes, they had to be. He was the key to Pandora's Box. He will tell me about my past, about everything. "Not before I find myself."

Gaara stood motionless, without ever blinking as I tried to reach even further. It was an unexplainable bond, an attraction which drew me forward. Only inches away when I couldn't go any further. It was like not being able to finish the last lap of the race.

I managed to make one final push despite my lungs being fully deflated and my ribs creaking like a hundred year old door. But it was enough, it was just enough to graze my fingertips along his cheek.

"Not before I found you," I spoke in a breathy whisper, loud enough for only us to hear.

Gaara's expression was undetectable. Puzzlement didn't reach his brow bone nor anger across his lips. There was nothing, but there was everything at the same time. Acknowledgment— acknowledging of my presence, that I was speaking to him, that I was alive.

Slowly, like time seeping through an hourglass, the sand cocoon melted away. The air rushed to my lungs, thankful for the fresh air. My heart pounded to disperse starving blood. Sand drifted downwards until my fragile feet hit earth.

Temari stared wide-eyed by Gaara's unexpected decision as her brother had a look of bewilderment. If Kankuro wanted to object Gaara's decision, he kept his mouth shut.

Firmly on the ground, I didn't know what to do or say next. Our eyes stayed connected. It was an electric current between us that neither of us could look away from.

There were so many things I needed to ask. _What was I supposed to say first? Why didn't I prepare beforehand?!_ Thousands of thoughts cluttered my mind, varying from why he let me go to wondering what his favorite color was.

I opened my mouth to spew out word vomit, but a sharp premonition overtook me. I didn't know how I knew or why, but it was yanking me, yelling at me that something was wrong. A vision of Team Seven crossed my mind.

"As much as I really wish to talk to you more, I think my friends are in trouble." Before Gaara or anyone had time to react, I ran off. No closer to solving the mystery.

* * *

The forest provided many obstacles as I sped through. Logs, ditches, crazed animals – all were minute to me as I trudged forward. I couldn't explain this feeling. It was instinctual, like when a mother knows there's something wrong with their child.

My moment was there, I was so close to talking to Gaara. It was in my grasps— or his grasps per se. Granted, he was going to kill me. Just because he freed me from embodiment, didn't mean he was sparing me. However, I could have gotten a few non-psychotic words out of him. But, my friends come first, they always come first. It was my shinobi way— to protect the ones I care most for.

That's when I saw them. A pink-haired kunoichi and a raven-haired Uchiha, sitting motionlessly on the ground. Sakura had a fearful look on her face, like she was seeing death in front of her eyes. Sasuke was frightened as well, but he was struggling to fight it off.

Their opponent, I soon recognized, was the grass ninja who returned the knife Anko threw at Naruto. She didn't seem to be doing anything offensive, but I knew better. The ninja was after what everyone desired here: the scroll.

I didn't understand – _why weren't they moving?_ I observed, questioningly. It was as though they were frozen by fear.

"Don't worry. I'll make it quick," the grass ninja promised. "But I don't need to tell you that. You've seen it with your own eyes." She slowly approached them with two kunai leisurely in her palm.

Sasuke fought to a stand. A kunai knife wobbled in his hand. _We're they _actually_ paralyzed?_

She laughed at the simplicity of the battle. "I expected you to be a bit more of a challenge. How disappointing…" At which she threw her knives and they sailed through the air, showing promise to make its mark at Sasuke and Sakura's throats.

It didn't matter now why they weren't running, I knew what must happen. Jumping out of cover, I instinctively, maternally, ran towards them. "Run!" I yelled at Sasuke as I grabbed Sakura. We leapt out of safety the moment the kunai made a thump on the soft ground.

We escaped to the high canopy of the gargantuan trees. I settled Sakura on a thick branch. She was clearly still shaken. Sasuke crouched next to us. The kunai he held loosely before was now jammed into his thigh.

"What the hell happened?" I panted. "Why weren't you two moving?"

"It was an illusion," Sasuke said. "An illusion based off fear."

It made sense now why they were acting like sitting ducks. "You stabbed yourself to overcome the fear," I concluded.

"Overcame fear with pain," Sasuke winced as he ripped the kunai out.

Sakura woke up from the illusion. She noticed Sasuke's wound. "Oh, Sasuke."

"Where's Naruto?" I asked.

"I don't know," Sasuke seethed through his teeth. "She tried to trick us by disguising herself as Naruto." A pang hit the bottom of my stomach. I hoped he was alright.

"That wound's deep." Sakura reached to tend the bleeding leg. "Let me hel-"

"We gotta move," Sasuke interrupted, activating his Sharingan. "We got to get out of here."

"It'll be alright, Sasuke," I reassured. "We got away. Let's go find Naruto and get out of here."

"You don't understand, she's here, there. She's everywhere. We can't escape her. It's inevitable." His voice was panicked, on the verge of hysteria.

_What did she do to them?_ I thought, worried about them. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw it. Sakura saw it. We were in an illusion, but what we saw wasn't a lie. It was our death. Our cruel, painful, _inevitable_ death."

I was about to rebut as a shadow hovered over us and to my distraught, witnessed a massive, King Kong size snake ready to make us his next meal. Sasuke doesn't realize the ambush.

"Sasuke, snap out of it!" I screamed, jumping out of way as the snake chopped on the branch. Thankfully, Sakura and Sasuke got out of there at the last second. Splitters soared through the air, a demonstration of this beast's power.

The snake slithered around the wide tree and launched its muscular body at its target— Sasuke.

"No! Get away. Stay away from me!" He threw puny shuriken at the monstrous reptile.

They hit their mark and the snake collapsed on the branch with a crash. But the snake wasn't dead. Oh no, something far worse happened. The scales began to crack.

"I sense your fear and desperation. It's only natural." Came from the woman inside the belly of the beast. "The prey must never let down its guard, not even for a moment."

The enemy slowly birthed out of the skin, like a parasite ready for its next host. "In the presence of its predator," she hissed. Her tongue was long; unnaturally long.

She turned into a humanoid snake as she slivered up the branch and launched to Sasuke. Her tongue flickered wildly, with anticipation, wanting to taste Uchiha skin. Her lifeless eyes sent shivers down my spine.

She was about to get her gut-wrenching desire when a barrage of weaponry penetrated the trunk in front of her, cutting the Snakestress off.

"Looks like I came just in time," called the notorious blonde. Naruto stood at a distant branch. Arms crossed, face smug. The enemy stared at Naruto with fascination.

"Naruto, get out of here!" Sasuke warned. "What are you thinking? You don't know what you are up against. Hurry, go now. While you still can!"

"So Naruto, you managed to escape my friend," she said. Her body was still rubberized and wrapped around the tree.

"I get it. So that wasn't just some random snake attack. You sent it after me," Naruto said, rubbing his chin. "Okay, okay. I don't know what's going on here, but you have been picking on my friends and I don't like that. So you better slither back into your hole, Snake Lady, or else I'll make a pair of shoes out of you!"

The Snake Lady didn't seem too entertained by the threat. I, on the other hand, thought it was extremely creative… and stupid.

"Cut it out, Naruto!" Sasuke screamed. It was so unusual for him to freak out like this. He wasn't this delusional when he fought Lee. He shook like a leaf, prepared to be blown away. I was nervous to be fighting a ninja that far exceeds a genin ability, but I was more nervous for Sasuke.

Sasuke took out their scroll, their Heaven scroll, and brought it to view. "You can have it." His Sharingan deactivated. "The scroll is what you want, isn't it? Alright then. Here, take it and leave us in peace."

"Sasuke, are you crazy or what? We're just going to hand over the scroll to the enemy? No way! What's wrong with you?" Naruto yelled.

"Shut up and stay out of it!" Sasuke barked.

"Very wise, very sensible. Sometimes the helpless prey, if they want to save their own skins, realize that their only hope is to distract their predator with something even more precious," she hissed agreeably.

"Just take it." Sasuke tossed the scroll, but it never made it to her as the Knuckleheaded ninja stood in the way.

"Stop being the hero, Naruto! Just stay out of this and leave it to me!"

Naruto, with the freshly caught scroll in one hand, punched the Uchiha with the other.

Sasuke fell back with a heavy thud. "Stupid fool, you don't know what you're doing!"

"I know what I am doing and know who I am… but I don't know who you are," Naruto huffed.

"What do you mean, Naruto? It's Sasuke," Sakura scolded.

"It's me, you idiot."

"Liar," Naruto said, trembling with anger. "You may look like him and even sound like him, but the Sasuke I know would never surrender to the enemy. I don't care how tough of a fight you've been through. Giving up the scroll… When did Sasuke become a coward!? You keep saying I don't know what's going on, but I do. You choked!"

Sasuke was speechless. He wouldn't admit it, but we all knew. Whatever this woman was, she terrified him. She dug underneath his skin and shook him to the core.

"Sad, but true," the snake charmer replied, tongue flicking with excitement. Her expression, dead. "It doesn't matter. As far as the scroll goes, I can simply kill you and take it."

She pulled up her sleeve to display thick, black tribal markings tattooed on her arm. Biting her thumb, blood surfaced as she smeared it on the markings.

"Alright, let's see you try it!" Naruto charged.

"Don't!" Sasuke screamed.

She rattled off many hand signs. "Summoning jutsu."

Naruto and the rest of us were welcomed by a snake even bigger than the last. Its head was larger than the four of us combined. It made the horde of three-eyed monkeys look harmless.

"What a tasty little meal you'll make for him," she pitched to Naruto. "Careful, he likes to play with his food."

The snake demonstrated by whipping his tail through the air, snapping the branch Naruto was standing on. He was sent flying; his back slammed against a tree in the distance.

"Finish him off," she ordered. The snake happily obliged with his mouth opened wide and charged towards Naruto.

"Oh yeah? Eat this." Naruto kicked the snake in the snout. The reptile shook his head, displeased by the runt's rebellion.

There was suddenly something off with Naruto. His face twisted, his demeanor angered. It wasn't the same kind of stubborn anger that usually aroused him. This was much more sinister, evil. Something in the air shifted.

"But, how? It's impossible," the grass ninja spoke with attraction.

Naruto goes ballistic and punched the snake madly. His small statue against the beast appeared unreal, comical if it wasn't happening right before my eyes.

"Look at him, he's gone nuts. Where did he get that kind of power all of a sudden? What's happened to him, Quorra?" Sakura asked, overwhelmed by Naruto's sudden burst of energy.

Naruto sprang towards the enemy, who was standing on the snake's head, ready to take him on. He made a war cry that sounded pained, like a wounded animal.

"I don't know, Sakura," was all I could muster as the boy continued his fight. I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

The enemy ninja performed a fire jutsu, breathing an amber fire onto the wild leaf shinobi. The flames engulfed Naruto and crashing down into the canopy below.

"Naruto!" I dashed over to him, who laid motionless.

I crouched over the boy. His eyes scrunched in pain as I laid a gentle hand over his forehead. My hand retracted from shock. He's skin was hot to the touch like he had a fever or he was laying on hot coals. _Did the fire toast him?_

Naruto's hands flexed instinctively. His human nails were replaced with … claws. That power, the destruction. It wasn't Naruto. He was concerned that Sasuke wasn't who he said he was, but what about him?

"Naruto?" I spoke, nervous.

"Now then," the grass ninja continued with the battle. "Let's see how you do, Sasuke." She gestured to the snake and it attacked, ready to take a taste of Uchiha blood. Sasuke stood there like a statue without any use of an illusion technique.

Naruto opened his eyes and that's when I saw it. His bright blue, clear sky eyes were no more. They were replaced with red, lava glass eyes. His pupils were slits, like a reptile or feline.

The enemy sailed on the snake's head, only feet away from the stagnant Sasuke. He was right, his death was inevitable.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shrieked.

* * *

**Gaara and Quorra seemed to made a connection- despite the circumstances. What could Gaara be thinking behind his dark rimmed eyes? Gaara did let her go, but was he going to kill her like Quorra suspected? Are these risks Quorra are taking worth it- even if suicidal?**

**Team 7 also were in a battle. Quorra was able to keep them safe for now, but can she keep it up? Will Sasuke thrive or choke?**

**Until next time! Thanks for reading. Fav/comment for more!**

**xo**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **There are words that some consider "bad"- I just think they're colorful.

Thank you Jemmy for your review/comment. Gaara and Quorra have an unique relationship. We'll see where it goes!

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Pleasure in the Tears**

Time seemed to slow down, but speed up at the same time. The quickness and agility from Naruto was mind-boggling as he went from an unconscious state to full fledge ninja in 0.2 seconds. Before I could blink, Naruto was already by his teammate's side; protecting the fossilized Sasuke and steering off an impossibly massive reptile. A snake that was taller than the trees it slithered on.

Sasuke was right, his death was inevitable… if it wasn't for Naruto.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled with freight.

Jumping onto layers of limbs, I rushed to the scene, scared Sasuke or Naruto was eaten. What I saw brought much relief, but terrified me at the same time. Naruto managed to step in front of the beast and held it back using brute strength alone. The snake snorted heatedly, smoke puffed around the untamed boy.

Naruto's mouth twisted with anger at the sight of Sasuke. "Look at you. Standing there frozen like a frighten rabbit. You're not the Sasuke I know."

Sasuke didn't say anything. He couldn't reply, not after the bravery Naruto displayed. Not after Sasuke saw the look in Naruto's eyes.

A long rope of a tongue wrapped around Naruto's waist. The snake ninja lifted him, plucking him away from Sasuke.

Naruto struggled to break free from his slimy imprisonment, hovering in front of his enemy. "Hey, Disgusting. Put me down before I yank this tongue out of your head!"

"That fire in his eyes. There's no mistaking it," the grass ninja said, amazed by Naruto's fighting. "Extraordinary. So the Nine-tails brat lives."

_Nine-tails? What does she mean?_ I thought, feeling more fear for Naruto.

She performed a hand sign. "I see. When your anger is roused, some of the Nine-tails fox's chakra is released," she calculated as purple fire glowed from her fingertips. "What an interesting childhood you must had."

The Snakestress lifted Naruto's shirt up with her tongue and I wasn't prepared for what came next. A heavy black swirl-like sun was imprinted on Naruto's abdomen. I couldn't help but question if Naruto always had that. And if he did, how long did he keep it from us?

Naruto snarled with defiance. His eyes still red; his pupils still feline.

She pulled her cold flamed hand back. "Five prong seal," and thrust it into his abdomen. Naruto cried out in pain as smoke rose, searing his skin like a branding.

"Sasuke, hurry. Do something!" Sakura panicked.

Naruto's burning red eyes returned to their glassy blue and his painful cries sizzled as he passed out. The grass ninja, content now, disregarded the boy, throwing him into the deep caverns below. Naruto would have never survived the fall. Sakura came to the same conclusion and threw a kunai knife which caught his orange jacket and pierced the trunk of the tree. He hung there unconscious.

"Now then," the snake ninja hissed. "Where were we?"

Sasuke stood still in thought that if he was motionless, he would blend in with his environment and his predator would give up on the hunt. Beads of sweat built up on his brow. He was losing it— he was utterly losing it. With Naruto out for commission and Sasuke on the verge of hysteria, I didn't know what to do.

"Sasuke, what's wrong with you," Sakura yelled. Fury overtook her. "Okay, say what you like about Naruto. That he gets in the way, that he's a pest. But at least he's… he's doing something! At least he's no coward!"

"I can't," Sasuke stuttered. "I just can't. There's no way. Her aura, that darkness. I can't win against her."

"Sakura is right, Sasuke," I tried to coax the Uchiha. "Naruto did something, now it's our turn."

"Are you out of your mind, Quorra?" Sasuke barked. "Look at her, she will kill us with a blink from her snake eyes."

I didn't blame him of being frightened. The grass ninja was a creature with a serpentine heart. But, I was growing frustrated that he was giving up so easily. "Yes, she's strong… I'll give you that. But, are you going to have her step in the way of your dreams? What happened to your desire for revenge, huh? You back off now and you're that much farther away from accomplishing your goal."

Sasuke didn't reply has his mouth straight-lined. He knew I had a point. "Ye… but—"

"But, what?" I cut him off. "You are going to go home with a tail between your legs? I thought you said you wanted to be stronger. How are you supposed to do that if you run away?"

Sakura was right about Sasuke being a coward and that he can't run away, but she also left out something important.

"We are a team, Sasuke. Team Asanoha. That means your battles are our battles." I stepped my foot down. As worried as I was about Leda and my need to find her, this can't be avoided. I stared at the enemy. Her long straight black hair and long rubbery tongue was the least of the woman's problems. She looked like she had a vendetta. She wanted a fight with someone specific— with an Uchiha and she wasn't going to back down. No— this battle needed to happen or else we would all be in trouble.

"Our paths interlock. Your goals are our goals as much as our goals are yours. We help each other grow stronger … we fight together."

Sasuke's demeanor changed. My words were starting to clear his fogged brain. The desire to get stronger and for revenge caused the Uchiha's blood to come to a boil. "You're right."

"Sasuke…" Sakura said, concerned.

"I can't let her get to me. I'm an avenger." Sasuke activated his Sharingan. Two tomoe twirled in his red irises. "I'm ready."

I nodded, pulling out a weapon. Sakura did the same, more hastily. I used one of Leda's favorite lines. "Let's fuck shit up."

Without hesitation, we took off. Instinctually, Sasuke took the left while I took the right. We fought the grass ninja simultaneously. I preformed moves that complimented Sasuke's. If I hit high, he would hit low.

The grass ninja maneuvered her way around our attacks. She really was a snake. I dashed to her and slid. Bark chipped away at my feet as I tried to knock her off her feet. The snake queen jumped into the air, avoiding my attack with ease.

In mid-air, Sasuke attacked from behind. His foot rose high to bring it down with a mighty kick, but the snake's long tongue wrapped around Sasuke's ankle and flung him aside. He recovered quickly and landed on his feet.

I quickly regrouped with my partner, kunai tight in hand. The enemy slithered and dashed around us, circling her prey. But, I couldn't pinpoint her, she was too fast. Glimpse of her long neck caught my eye as quickly as it came. The wind of her whizzing by ruffled my curled hair – she was a mad tornado.

"I can't spot her." I stood back-to-back with Sasuke, in fighting stance. "Sasuke, where is she?"

He was silent as he used his Sharingan to track her. His red eyes dashed from one side to the other, teeth clenched. He wasn't able to track Lee's taijutsu as Lee laid a punch to his face, sending him flying across the room. Will the inevitable happen again?

Sasuke jumped with adrenaline. "Behind you!" he warned and tackled me to the ground. The spot where we stood was no more as the grass ninja's tongue shot out like a whip. Thick splinters exploded like sebon needles. We tumbled down the levels of the canopy. Weak and thinner branches snapped, unable to break our fall. My back slammed on a larger, more solid branch, meters below. The wind was knocked out of me.

Sasuke hovered on top of me, trying to find her. "Shit, where did she go now?"

He looked around frantically, but I couldn't concentrate. A haze rolled over as it was there again, that same feeling. The pain from the time I fought James in my last major mission. It was bubbling, swirling angrily at my inner core. The bubbles were ripping open cracks that were meant to remain closed.

My hand went to my temples, squeezing them. I refused to believe that this was happening all over again. It couldn't be; that wasn't possible. It must be the traces of my subconscious thoughts from the fear of my last life-threatening battle. It had to be, there was no other explanation.

Through my dizzy vision, I spotted her. The snake ninja was dropping down from above. Her long jump roped tongue was lashing through the air. Her neck elongated even further. It was like the Loch Ness Monster on cocaine, and even uglier. Her excitement was well noted. Sasuke hadn't noticed her yet.

_Gotta move_. Struggling, I placed my feet on Sasuke's chest and pushed off, sending him falling without warning. I groaned with agony as I followed suit and rolled off, letting gravity do its work. In mid-air, I threw a kunai in the direction of the grass nin. She avoided it with ease as the knife hit a rotten tree branch. She was too busy plotting her desire to kill to notice the knife had a paper bomb attached to it. A loud, fiery explosion snapped the branch clean off and dropped, hitting its target perfectly.

The grass ninja and the branch fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Sasuke and I followed soon after, with somewhat more grace. The impact caused dust to fill the air, obscuring our vision.

It was too thick to see through the dust cloud. Without Sasuke's Sharingan, I was practically a sitting duck. The pain intensified to the point where it almost crimpled me. It was at that gruesome moment, I knew that this wasn't my mind playing games. This was the real deal, the same thing. My blood was pumping fast. My veins felt like they a hose that sprang a leak. It was mind-fucking.

My guard was dropped as a python tongue sliced through the dust cover. I was prepared to take the hit when the tongue didn't hit its intended mark. Before me was Sasuke, who jumped in front to get the blow, protecting me. The tongue sounded like high-pitched whip. He cried out in pain and dropped to the ground.

"Sasuke!" I quickly crouched over him, seeing the angry slash across his back. Blood seeped out, staining his navy shirt, black. His Uchiha insignia was drenched in blood.

The dust lifted as the grass ninja approached us. "Look what you made me do," she said, mockingly disappointed. "You made me taint my dinner. Scrawny little girl isn't on the menu tonight. Why don't you run off so I can properly play with my food?" Her eyes were lifeless but her hunger was alive.

I never wanted to destroy a person, destroy her as much as I did now. To go this far to someone I care about, was unacceptable. Sasuke was crouched over, trying to pace himself to move. The movement of muscles in his back caused him more pain. It was pain I didn't want him, or any of my comrades to endure. To joke about Sasuke being her _food_ made me sick. But more importantly, it made me pissed.

Swallowing down my raging war inside, I let my anger take over. I concentrated on that rather than the screaming of every cell in my body. Hopping over Sasuke, I dashed to the snake ninja, kunai in hand.

Her lip twisted up into a smirk and happily charged. We broke into a one-on-one hand combat. Between her tongue and neck, it was like fighting six limbs. I dodged every which way I could, performing aerial flips and movements to avoid that flickering tongue. But, the unfair advance was too much for me. Her tongue caught wisps of my wavy hair and wrapped tightly around it, causing me to stop abruptly.

The ninja whipped her tongue and pulled me to the ground. It was the most pitiful, girly move to make, but the unnatural circumstances made it a power move.

"Don't try to outmaneuver me," the grass ninja hissed. Her tongue didn't stutter her speech as she wrapped more coils around my chestnut hair. "There's no way someone as puny and insignificant as yourself can outdo me."

The enemy tugged on my hair, feeling like my scalp was slowly being teared away from my skull. My teeth grinded, triggering my eyes to water.

Mae's words resurfaced in my mind, mixing with the Snake's. They said that I'm not good enough, that I was weak and people just felt bad for me. That I didn't know what hard work was and couldn't save myself. The words bore a deeper hole than I wished to admit.

Sasuke tried to recover from the last attack and stood up. He shook has he held his shoulder, blood seeping from his fingers. There wasn't much fight left in him.

One look at Sasuke, my teammate, and I knew I couldn't give up. Like I told Mae, my goal was to save the people I cared about from suffering. My future depended on it. I haven't given up so far and I wasn't going to start now.

I made a breathy chuckle. "Fuck off and crawl back into your hole, you Slithery Motherfucker."

"What?" She asked, creating a funnel over her ear.

"I said," louder now. "_Fuck_ off, you Slithery Motherfucker!"

I quickly performed hand signs to a jutsu I promised myself I wouldn't use until in a dire situation. After the final pose was set in place, I felt it. A deep turmoil was triggered in the core of my abdomen. With a deep breath, I let out a blazing fire to the Snake's tongue. Instinctively, her scorched tongue let go, freeing my hair.

I broke into my escape and ran to Sasuke. "Sorry about that," I joked to the woman. "Some say I'm a little spice-aye." She wasn't very appreciative as she held her tongue in pain. Quickly, I assisted Sasuke and we hopped out of the inferno.

Now that Sasuke and I escaped to a safe distance away, I could see him stare at me with bewilderment.

"Since when could you do that?" Sasuke asked in shock.

I shrugged my shoulders. "For a while now. Don't ask me how though."

His questioning brow rose, just as confused as I was in how I inherited this ability. Something else flashed in front of his eyes. I knew that look. When I used to train with him daily, we developed this ability to read each other. It became useful back in our last mission where we got ambushed. This time seemed to be the same way, it would seem.

"You have a plan," I commented, not questioned.

"Oh, yeah."

* * *

"Where are you, my Sweet," the Snaketress called, eager to get her grasp on the Uchiha boy. "Come out and play with me."

Sasuke jumped into view, not using any attempts to hide. "You want me. Come get me," he antagonized.

"With pleasure," she smiled and with a thrust of her hands, she sent a pulse wave of wind flying Sasuke's way.

The Uchiha hopped out of the way as the hurricane winds knocked down thick branches with its powerful force. Sasuke escaped and was now directly above the Snaketress. With a kick of his legs, he launched himself to the enemy. Grabbing her on the way, they spiral threw the air. Her head was faced down as Sasuke drove her into a limb stories down. A large crack sounded the air.

Sasuke skipped out of the way as the Snaketress' body goes limp. Her legs slump forward, her jaw wide open. But, her skin started to turn brown as did the rest of her body. Before I knew it, her fleshy body turned into mud as it droop out of shape. It was an Earth-style substitution.

"Nice try, but you will need to do better than that," she scolded Sasuke and went for a counterattack.

A barrage of kunai rained down onto Sasuke as he dodged, but it was too late. The Snaketress preformed various hand combats moves and knocked Sasuke off his feet. He scurried back, trying to keep his distance.

"What a disappointment you turned out to be. Your ancestors weep. The Uchiha clan should thank me for killing you, silly little worm."

Sasuke's red eyes twinkled. The Snaketress didn't understand why he looked so smudge until the sound of sizzling and an explosion answered her question. While Sasuke was performing his aerial move before, he stuck multiple cherry bombs to the back of her uniform; too light to notice.

The fire arm set her off balanced. "Now, Quorra!" Sasuke shouted as he leapt out of the way.

On cue, I dived out of my hiding spot. With my trusty nylon string in hand, I attached multiple shuriken to its ends. When I threw them, a web of string wrapped around the Snake, pinning her to the tree. She tried to wiggle free, but it was no use. The durable string was too strong. The ends were spread out across neighboring tree, like a spider's web and she was the meal in the center. The beginning piece started with me, in between my teeth.

"Fire!" I hollered through clenched teeth and together we inhaled a deep breath and blew. The fire traveled from two different directions, but the paths had their common goal as they collided with the Snake.

"You did it guys!" Sakura yelled, running over to us. "You actually did it!"

Painful screams filled the air. The flames devoured its dinner; licking its lips with satisfaction. Burning flesh filled my nostrils. It was a scent all too familiar, a scent I rather forget.

The Snaketress fell on her knees, just like James did, as the flames grew taller with hunger. But unlike James, the high pitch screams transformed to something even scarier, laughter. Her womanly laughter deepened, becoming more masculine.

The flames backed off and slowly dwindled away, accepting defeat. The fire demon was unable to engulf this woman, or man. Staring at her face, I noticed something I wouldn't have believed if I didn't see it with my own eyes. The skin on her face looked like melted wax. Drips of flesh oozed down her eye and dribbled off her chin.

That wasn't even the worse part. What was worse was that what was underneath the candlewax skin. Fresh, untouched, baby skin, like a snake molting. The eyelids and lashes of the old face slid off the cheek, the old lips sagged as the new ones took their place. But, this new skin was different from the old. The eyes were golden with slit pupils, like a serpent's. Purple cat-eyed makeup lined the eye dramatically. The skin was paler, white like chalk. This on top of the voice suddenly becoming masculine was when I realized what this was. This creature was wearing the skin of someone else. He was a face stealer.

A new symbol on his headband emerge. Instead of three strokes representing the Grass nation, it became a music note. A symbol I would assume represented the Sound nation. The creature pulled and broke free from its string imprisonment and threw his hands into a sign.

"Such mastery of the Sharingan at such young of an age. You are a true Uchiha after all. Yes, you will do finely," she - now he - said with a deep voice and activated his jutsu.

The same paralysis jutsu from before frozen us in place. The jutsu mixed with my own internal pain from threw me to the ground. Sakura followed soon after as Sasuke continued to struggle to stand.

I understood why the others were so distraught before. All I saw before my eyes were visions of my untimely death. Over and over again, repeated different scenarios of how I would die. As soon as I died, another scenario would pop in its place, an unending cycle.

Sasuke let out a battle cry as he continued to stand, shakily. Sakura was a sobbing mess on the floor besides me. I couldn't decide what was worse— the pain from the jutsu or the pain from my body trying to devour itself.

"You are definitely his brother. If anything, your eyes are even keener than Itachi's," he said with fascination.

_Itachi? _Sasuke never told me his brother's name, let alone tell it to anyone else. _How could this guy know it? If he knew this much, what else did he know?_

Sasuke must have been thinking the same thing as he growled angrily. "Who are you? What do you want?!"

The Sound ninja sighed. "Don't you see? I'm not here to fight naïve brats and get some dumb scroll. My name is Orochimaru and I'm here for a higher purpose."

"If you're done here, why don't you get lost? If I ever have to see you again, it would be too soon," Sakura barked through heavy tears.

"Oh, we will meet again. That's when you will find my purpose of being here, Sasuke. But, until next time." Orochimaru extended him long neck and bites Sasuke vampire style on the neck. Two puncture wounds remained, streaming with blood. Sasuke remained still under the paralysis jutsu, screaming with pain as he fell to the ground.

"Sasuke, no!" Sakura yelled.

I tried to do something, anything to stop this snake monster from hurting Sasuke, but the more I tried to move, the greater the pain. My screams synchronized with Sasuke's as the pain was on the verge of bubbling over.

"Sasuke! Quorra! What's going on? What's happening to you both?" Sakura screamed, sickened.

I didn't understand what was happening and why now. The thought of getting Sasuke to safety brought a massive sting to my eyes, something different than last time. My eyes felt like they were swelling and going to pop out of its socket. My body curled into a ball, trying to seal in the pain. My palms dung into my eyes, trying to stop the pain, anything to stop the pain.

Sasuke wasn't doing much better. He continued to scream, grabbing his neck where he was bitten. His body convulsed uncontrollably, emotional hurting Sakura further.

"What did you do to them?!" She demanded.

Orochimaru smiled, satisfied. Not at all phased by the sudden destruction he caused. "I gave Sasuke a gift. Something that he will thank me for one day, if he survives." He stared at me oddly. At this point, everything was muffled. Becoming a swirl of multicolor, a smear in my vision.

"Can't say I know what's wrong with her." I barely hear Orochimaru say. It felt like I was underwater, drowning. He muffled one last thing before he disappeared, leaving us finally alone. We might have been better off dead.

Sakura hugged Sasuke as he the pain was too great and he fell into a deep comatose state, thank the heavens. She rocked the Uchiha, more to try to comfort her tears than Sasuke.

My vision was tunneling. I didn't have much time left. "Sakura," I struggled just to call her name. "Take Sasuke and Naruto somewhere safe."

"How?" Sakura sobbed. She was frightened.

"You… you can do it," I reassured. "You're a kunoichi. You are capable of protecting your comrades. Their life is in your hands." My eyes roll back.

Sakura sniffled, nodding agreeably. "Quorra… Quorra!" But by then, I had succumbed to the pain and landed on a cloud of unconsciousness.

* * *

**Sasuke and Quorra got in a heated battle against the grass ninja- who turned out to be Orochimaru. Quorra started feeling the same pain as last time. That bubbling, burning feeling that eats away at her. Was it all in her head or was it real and it was just a coincidence? She felt pain in her eyes, something different than last time. Could that mean anything?**

**It's up to Sakura to protect her team. Can she do it?**

**As always, thank you for reading! I put a lot of work into these chapters and I'm glad people still find them interesting. Fav/follow/comment to read Quorra's story unravel!**

**xo**


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Rated C for Cussing

Thank you allonsyepicsnowman and yssajeq for your review/comment. An interesting theory... we'll just have to find out.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter thirty: Sangria**

_Well, this was different, _I thought. _For once, I wasn't in the mouth of the Unknown. It wasn't dark, nor damp with the slime of gestation. I was outdoors, alone in a calm forest. Only a glass filled with red liquid to accompany me. _

_I wasn't wearing my usual shinobi capris and burgundy leather jacket; instead, I was sporting a white T-shirt, long enough to be considered a short dress. My bare feet felt the damp Earth in between its toes._

_My muddy feet seemed to know where they were going as my mind did not. Walking down unmarked paths, I turned left then right, climbing over fallen limbs. The sun shined peacefully through the trees, sparkling like fairies down onto the forest floor._

_My mind felt light__—__happy almost__—__like I didn't have a care in the world. Everything that I was stressed about was behind me. I was free in this forest, no one could stop me. I felt invincible. _

_Maybe I was drunk._

_A clearing in the tree tops shined sun down on a fallen tree. It was massive with its long, tangled, webbed roots uplifted. I crawled to the heavenly scene. My fingers traced the grooves of Methuselah's trunk, absorbing all the years of wisdom and all the war and destruction it witnessed. I couldn't help but sympathized with the tree, for reasons I wasn't quite sure._

_Growth still revolved around the fallen tree. Tree sprouts and ferns covered the forest floor. Holes were dug where maternal animals feed and protect their younglings. Even when the life of one falls, others will rise and take its place. _

_In the distance, I saw it. A light at the end of the tunnel, an exit. My excited feet crawled underneath Father Tree and dashed towards the forest opening. That final step to the outside world was exhilarating. I took my first breath of fresh air. In the forest, the air was stagnate. Here, the wind blew, ruffling my white dress, cleansing my nostrils. _

_A vast, tranquil field welcomed me. Tall Pennsylvania Sage swayed in the breeze. White, puffy dandelions did the same, releasing their seeds. Little fuzzes wisped around me, carrying life elsewhere._

_A lone, intact dandelion compelled me to pick it up. How fragile it was. The seeds barely secured to the top of the stem, to the Motherboard. How the wind can simply take the tiny seeds away, to a foreign land. To the Unknown. _

_I twirled it between my fingers. Satisfied I, for once, controlled a life of another as some seeds detached and began their journey. With the dandelion and glass of red liquid still in hand, I continued through the field. _

_The clear skies were no more as clouds quickly rolled in, swirling angrily in a synchronized dance. Earth was agitated, angered at something. Maybe it was me. But, I didn't think that. In fact, I thought quite the opposite. I thought Mother Nature was happy to see me. _

_I trudged through the tall grass, as the dandelion in my hand set on fire. My eyes were shocked, but my body was unfazed as the dandelion torch grazed over the grass. A trail of fire followed me. I was the Fire Queen to a world being destroyed. _

_Smoke and light-headedness took over, but I didn't object as I laid peacefully. My eyes closed in pure ecstasy bliss while the world around me was metamorphosing into Hell._

_By the time I awoken, the dandelion in my hand was nothing more than a burnt match. My white dress was no longer white as there was messy splatters of red. Maybe it was from my glass that was now shattered. The sky was at peace once more, the war was over._

_A dark shadow hovered over me. It was tall in statue, too dark to see any features but green eyes. It was him. A smile trickled on my lips. Why was I smiling?_

_His voice was deep, but distorted. It sounded like he had smoker's lung. But, my head was too fuzzy to comprehend it._

_"__What am I going to do with you, Snow?"_

_I didn't understand until I felt something shaking in my lap. Questioningly, I examine the culprit. When I saw it, my eyes wanted to cry, but my smile grew bigger._

_The thing in my lap wasn't shaking, it was beating._

_It was a heart._

* * *

My eyes opened, but it took me a minute to remember where I was. The field was replaced with a forest_— _different than the one in my dream. I was instead in a massive tree. The uplifted roots system formed a type of tree cave. My white dress was gone and replaced with my usual ninja gear. My leather jacket was folded underneath my head for comfort.

_That's right. Sasuke and I fought Orochimaru._

The thought of Sasuke and Naruto jump started me into a sitting position. Across from me were the two with wet towels on their foreheads. Still unconscious, but safe. I sighed with relief. _It looks like Sakura did a good job taking care of us, _I thought.

But maybe it was too soon to say that as I heard a commotion. Sakura stood outside the tree's entrance with kunai in hand. There, were three sound ninjas, the ones I remembered as we waited for the exams to begin. Rock Lee was some reason also here, without the rest of his team. He was face first in the ground, knocked out.

"What did you do to him?" Sakura demanded, trying not to let her voice shake. "Lee dodged your punch."

The sound ninja Sakura was talking to had his face covered in bandages, except his left eye.

"He might be able to dodge my blows but he can't get away from it. I don't need to strike with my fists. I can hit you with the power of sound." He rolled up his long, flowy sleeves to show his toy. A metal cuff with holes in it took up his entire forearm. "What makes it possible for the ear to hear things? What is sound really?"

"Vibrations," Sakura said. Her intelligent eyes were sparking comprehension.

"Zaku, Kin, give the little lady a price. Yes, the molecules in the ear create sound waves. These vibrations are collected through the ear, then travel through the ear canal to your ear drum. The rest, they say, is anatomy. What interest me are the organs in your inner ear. The ones that control your sense of balance."

"What my teammate Dosu is saying is, old fashion taijutsu won't help here. Compared to our jutsu, that stuff is yesterday's news," said Dosu's teammate, Zaku, who had spiky, black hair and dark eyes. He wore a beige shirt and along with his teammates, wore a snake-patterned scarf around his neck. "I can manipulate ultrasonic waves and air pressure. I can do things you can never dream of."

"What do you want with us? Leave us alone," Sakura demanded.

"Wake up Sasuke. We want to fight him," said the female Sound, Kin.

"You'll never get him." Sakura's teeth were clenched. "What's that strange bruise behind Sasuke's neck? You're behind this too, aren't you? You and Orochimaru. And you want to fight him when he can't defend himself? Cowards."

The Sound ninja looked shocked by hearing Orochimaru's name. "What in the world is he thinking?" Dosu asked.

"Who cares? I can't stand here while she talks to us like that. I'm first going to kill the girl, then I'm going to kill Sasuke." Zaku rose his arms up. A hole was in each hand—used to perform air pressure jutsu—pointing towards Sakura.

The pink-haired shinobi took her fighting stance. "Oh, yeah? Catch these." An array of shuriken were thrown.

Zaku laughed. "Nice try." He used the air manipulated with his hands and sent the shuriken back at Sakura. She rose her arms defensively as she dodged. The wind blew her hair wildly.

Sakura was about to counter but Kin grabbed her pink locks and dragged her to the ground. "My, my. What soft and shiny hair you have." She shook a healthy fistful of pink hair. "But you know what? If you spend more time training and less time shampooing, you might not be in this fix." Sakura whimpered under Kin's harsh grip. "Hey Zaku, you know what would be fun? Let's make Miss Beauty Queen watch as you finish off that Sasuke guy."

"Sounds like fun to me," Zaku agreed.

"You stay away from him –"

"Don't even," Kin warned, yanking Sakura's hair harder, leaving her in submission.

"Okay, let's do this," Zaku spoke, approaching the understory where the three of us laid.

_I have to do something_, I thought. Standing felt like I got hit by a stampede of wild animals. My chest felt heavy and my eyes swollen, but I had to protect them.

"You're not touching them," I croaked, stumbling out of the tree entrance.

Zaku laughed at my pitiful attempt-a mouse trying to fight a cat.

"Quorra, don't," Sakura said, worried.

"Don't even bother," Zaku replied, raising his palms up. "You're halfway to where you belong... Hell."

"Why, you," but it was too late. Zaku manipulate the air pressure and hurricane winds knocked me off my feet. I tumbled until I hit the back trunk with a hard thump.

"Quorra!" Sakura cried.

"Now that that pest is gone, where was I?" Zaku exaggeratedly pondered, tapping his chin. "Oh, right. That loser, Sasuke."

"Sakura," I croaked. My throat felt like sandpaper.

"It's no use. I got no strength left," Sakura whimpered. Heavy tears fell down her dirty face. Her nails dug into the dirt.

"Yes, you do," I countered. "Fight back."

"I can't," she sobbed, head down in shame.

"Yes, you can. You have been through so much, we all have. We don't give up on you like you don't give up on us. Don't give up on yourself."

Sakura remained silent as tears slowly dripped onto the earth below. She shook in fear.

"It's your turn to blossom," I whispered.

Her head snapped up and her green, swollen eyes made contact with mine. Something clicked in her mind as her eyes sparked recognition. In her weapons pouch, she pulled out a kunai knife. She held it shakily with both hands.

"Come on. It's pointless. That won't work on me," Kin snarled.

Sakura smirked at the Sound kunoichi. "It's not meant for you."

"What?" Sakura thrust the kunai to her own hair. Kin fell back with a fistful of pink hair, no longer having a grasp on Sakura. Sakura's hair fell raggedly to her shoulders, the front sections significantly longer than the back.

"It's time to take the lead. You can all watch me from the background," Sakura declared. I gave a proud parent smile.

"Kin, take her out," Dosu commanded.

Kin pulled out sebon needles and threw them, but Sakura already performed a jutsu and the needles pierced a log. Sakura reappeared in front of Zaku, charging at him with a handful of kunai. Sakura threw the knives.

"You think you can fool me with that lame ninjutsu? I'm way ahead of you," Zaku raised his palms up into fighting stance. "Pathetic. Thanks for the present. Hope you don't mind if I return it."

The tunneling wind sent the knives back at Sakura which would have sliced through her if she didn't perform the Substitution technique in time. A log replaced her once more. She reappeared above Zaku with more kunai.

"You want to keep playing this 'cause I have news for you, I'm not falling for it." He used his sound technique again and sent the knives back at Sakura. She guarded her vitals as the sharp blades cut into her.

"Okay, so where are you coming from next?" Zaku searched for Sakura's next attack, but horror dinged on him when blood dripped onto his face.

Sakura wasn't attacking from a different angle because she never left her position. Those shuriken didn't pierce through a substitution like the first times, it sliced through her flesh. Zaku yelped as Sakura toppled him. She was left weaponless and used her teeth as a last resort, biting into his vulnerable forearm.

"What are you crazy or something?! Get off me!" Zaku punched Sakura's head repeatedly, but it was no use, Sakura wasn't going to give up that easily. Her face became a bloody pulp with every punch Zaku laid.

It was painful to watch, too painful. I crawled, excruciatingly, to the tree entrance.

Zaku knocked Sakura hard enough that she unclamped her bear trap grip and retreated in a crumbled mess. Zaku stood and brushed himself off. "Now you're going to pay."

I tired, but it was no use. I couldn't move fast enough. There was no way I could get to her in time. "Sakura! Look out!"

It was too fast. Sakura would be blasted away. Well, she would have been if it wasn't for the trio. Right before Zaku used his manipulative powers, Team 10 blocked the pathway. Standing in front of a battered Sakura was Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji-who Shikamaru dragged by his long scarf.

"What is this, the second string?" Zaku barked, irritated.

"Ino…" Sakura said.

"Surprised? I swore I never let you show me up, didn't I?" Ino said, smug.

"But… why?" Sakura asked. I couldn't help but wonder the same thing.

"I'm tired of you showing off to Sasuke and getting all the credit."

"These leaf ninja worms will squirm for butting into something that doesn't concern them," Dosu promised.

"Are you two crazy? What are we doing here?" Choji asked, shaking. "These guys are bad news, man."

"Don't ask me," Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "It was Ino's idea. But what are we supposed to do? Sit back and let a _girl_ do all the fighting?"

"Sorry for dragging both of you into this," Ino laughed nervously. "But we are a three-man squad. All for one and one for all."

"Yeah, whatever happens will," Shikamaru agreed.

"This isn't teamwork! I call this suicide!" Choji wailed as he tried to escape, but Shikamaru still had a firm grip on his scarf.

"Stop wiggling. You're getting on my nerves," Shikamaru grunted.

"Yeah, Choji. Cool it," Ino chastised. "It's three versus three."

"Four," I called. I couldn't sit back on the side-lines any longer. "It's three versus four," I said, walking, rather slowly, to the rookies.

"Let me out of here, please!" Choji cried, still not liking the odds.

"Better an alive sheep than a dead lion. Isn't that right, Fatso?" Zaku bullied. Sakura's blood staining his smug face.

Suddenly Choji stopped squirming and stood unnaturally still. His face twisted, the tips of his ears turned red. "Did I just hear what I think you said?"

Shikamaru and Ino took a few steps back, releasing his scarf. Whatever was about to happen, they knew it wasn't good.

Zaku wasn't threatened. "I said it would be smart of you to get out while you still can, _Fatty_." He emphasized each syllable in the word fatty.

"Who are you calling fat? I'm just a little chubby, okay?!" Choji did a hand sign and expanded exponentially. He appeared like a ball with feet, hands, and a head. "Human boulder jutsu." His limbs and head tucked in and he rolled after his bully with the force of an 18-wheeler.

"You got to be kidding me," Zaku laughed and used his slicing sound wave technique. The air flow through his palms was powerful, but it wasn't stopping Choji's fury.

Choji's boulder form jumped into the air. He was able to jump over the airstream! Zaku stared up in horror at the human boulder Sonic the Hedgehogging directly at him.

"Zaku!" Dosu called and dashed to assist his teammate.

"Oh no you don't, Mummy Man. Time to put you under wraps," Shikamaru said.

With my fascination, Shikamaru manipulated his shadow as it twisted and turned towards Dosu. Once their shadows connected, Dosu stopped running and froze. He was unable to stop Choji from hitting Zaku.

"What is it, Dosu? Why are you standing there like that?" Kin yelled.

"It's some kind of paralysis jutsu," he struggled to reply as he raised his hands to his head and fanned out his fingers, like he was a deer. Shikamaru was going the same thing.

_I get it. He's doing everything his shadow is doing. Dosu is shadowing Shikamaru, _I thought, amazing by the ability.

"Ino, I'll leave the girl to you," Shikamaru said.

"Okay, you got it. Just take care of my body for me while I'm gone." Ino rose her hands up in a square and peered through it. "Mind transfer jutsu." Kin's eyes looked blank while Shikamaru caught Ino's limp body.

"Kin, what's wrong with you?" Zaku called, dodging Choji.

Kin smiled as she held a kunai to her own throat. "Party's over fellahs. Take it easy. One false move from either of you and your teammate gets it in the neck. So here's what you do, just drop the scroll and walk away. Then I'll let her go."

Zaku and Dosu had a very morbid expression on their faces. Instead of the typical look of concern one would have over a threatened teammate, they smirked with glee. Zaku raise his powerful hands, but not at Ino-Shika-Cho, but rather Kin.

"Choji!" Kin yelled, but it was too late. Choji's fast speed couldn't block the airstream in time as it hurled Kin into a nearby tree. Ino's lip bleed.

Kin struggled to lift her head. "I… I don't understand. What kind of monster would attack their own teammate?"

"I guess monsters like us," Zaku confirmed.

"You see, we aren't playing this game by your rules. It's not the scrolls we are after. We don't even care about passing this exam," Dosu admitted.

"What then?" I asked.

"Sasuke. We want Sasuke." His reply and the way he delivered it gave me goosebumps.

Shikamaru's shadow at that moment, quivered, and shrunk away back to its owner.

"So, your paralysis jutsu has a pretty limited duration I see," Dosu calculated.

"Shadow possession jutsu. Get your jutsu right," Shikamaru corrected.

"Whatever. And your teammate is able to slip her soul into her opponent. Clever, but dangerous. Anything that happens to Kin, happens to her too. So if Kin happens to die—

"What are you going to do? Kill your own teammate?" Shikamaru barked.

"Well if push comes to shove." Zaku rose his hand to Kin, not afraid to pull the trigger.

Shikamaru's face twisted with annoyance. "Oh man. What a drag."

"Yeah, no kidding!" Choji agreed.

Fighting alongside Team 10 had been difficult because I never seen their fighting styles before. Blending our abilities would have been impossible. But now that they were at a standby, it was my turn. Without warning, I performed my fire jutsu, aiming directly at Dosu and Zaku. It took a few moments, but they moved out of the way at the last second.

"You think you can defeat us, girl?" Dosu said.

"Let's face it. You're just as puny and pathetic as the rest of these runts," Zaku added.

My adrenaline pulsed as a surge of energy kicked in. This has gone too far. I closed my eyes. Something within me was begging to come out, to escape. Maybe it was anger, maybe it was frustration, maybe it was even fear. Whatever it was, I let it go, wholeheartedly.

"It's my turn now," I said, opening my eyes and charging.

Dosu held out his metal device as he was my first victim. He swiped his arm, aiming for my head, but I somehow knew that already and dodged it. With annoyance, he released his sound wave technique. It should have crimpled me right then and there just like it did to Lee, but I saw it. The wave escaped the instrument, extending with speed and accuracy. However, there was a flaw in his technique, a bubble where his sound didn't penetrate. I quickly followed the path, making sure my precious ears were safe.

"Impossible," Dosu said, wide-eyed. "How'd you see my blind spot?"

I stared him down, ready for his next move. The feeling I had before decided to show itself. I knew what it was and why I felt such power from it. It was revenge.

He glared at me like he just saw the Reaper. "Those eyes. What are you?"

I didn't understand what he meant. What could he see that I couldn't?

"Don't let this bitch trip you up, Dosu. It was just luck," Zaku ragged.

"No, Zaku! It wasn't luck. Wait!"

By the time Zaku released his airstream, I was already in the air. A phoenix of fire shot at Zaku as he tumbled out of the way.

Frazzled and frustrated, "Alright. Try this for size." In rapid fire, he sent bullets of airstreams in rapid succession. I saw each one and dodged them, but the fight with Orochimaru still had its effects. I wasn't fast enough to dodge them all. The last airstream nicked me, but it was enough to send me across the fighting zone.

The damaged could have been worse if I wasn't caught. Holding me was a force so powerful, it almost felt like I was being burned. A strong purple aura encompassed us, devouring us like a tornado.

"Sasuke?"

He remained quiet as he stared angrily at the sound ninja. "Did he do this?" he asked, keeping his eye contact on the enemy.

"Do what?" I looked up. I was taken aback at the sight. Sasuke's face was covered with heavy black ink. Tribal markings plagued his skin.

"Was he the one who hurt you and Sakura," he gestured to Zaku, who stared back bug eyed.

"He's the one who hurt Sakura," I confirmed. He nodded with understanding and set me aside. I was too flabbergasted to object.

"Sasuke, what's happening?" Sakura's voice shook.

"Don't worry. I'm alright. It's only the power flowing through me. In fact, I've never felt better. He gave me this gift and he made me understand what I am. I am an avenger. To follow my path, I must have power at any price. Even if it means I would be consumed by evil." Sasuke stared at Zaku, ready to fight.

"Ino! Hurry up and get back into your body. You don't want to get involved in this!" Shikamaru yelled behind cover with Ino's body. "You too, Choji!"

"I'm coming!" Choji joined Shikamaru as Ino rejoined with her body.

Zaku took his fight stance while Dosu took a step back. "What is it? Got cold feet," Zaku joked.

"No, Zaku. We can't fight him. He was too much power!"

"Oh, yeah? Watch me."

"Don't!"

Zaku rose his palms. "I'll take care of them all in one fell swoop. Supersonic slicing wave!" Everyone ducked to cover. The speed of this was stronger than his other and with so much more power, I thought I wasn't going to make it. All that was left was bare land and a trench in the soil tracing back to its source. "Well, what do you know? Blew them all away."

"Not quite," came a voice from behind Zaku, Sasuke's voice.

"Such speed," Dosu said in amazement. "He got all his teammates out in a blink of an eye." While Zaku was busy causing mass destruction, Sasuke grabbed the three of us and got us out of harm's way.

Sasuke didn't stop for chit-chat. He performed his Phoenix flower jutsu and sent fireballs after Zaku. Zaku countered with his trusty airstream to extinguish the flames, but hidden inside were shuriken that impaled the fooled Sound ninja. The stunned ninja didn't notice Sasuke rushing up to him from underneath his nose. Soon, Sasuke was behind Zaku with a tight grip on both arms.

"You seem to be very proud of these arms. You must be very attached to them," Sasuke cajoled, pulling his arms back even farther.

"No, what are you doing?" Zaku tried to break free, but it was pointless. Sasuke placed a knee on Zaku's back and pulled with such force that the arms made a painful cracking noise. He tore through ligaments and broke both arms, rendering them useless, all with an evil smile.

With Kin unconscious and Zaku out of commission, Sasuke stared at his next victim. "It looks like you're the only one left. I hope you make things more interesting than your friend did."

He walked towards Dosu who looked like he was about to shit a brick. Sasuke looked fully entertained with a grin upon his face. The marks on his skin glowed, like molten lava and traveled further up his body, plaguing his skin even more. I didn't know what was happening. He was always strong, but never did he act like a serial killer. His happiness frightened me, even more so than his inked skin and purple aura. It was a look of hunger.

Sakura felt the same way as she set for a mad dash towards Sasuke. "No! Stop! Don't do this." She wrapped her arms around his chest.

The emotions were getting to me as well as I walked in front of Sasuke. "Listen to her, Sasuke."

"They hurt Sakura. I will have my revenge," he said, monotone. He refused to make eye contact with me. He was focused on his enemy.

"Yes, they hurt Sakura, they hurt Team 10 and they hurt me. But this isn't like you. The Sasuke I know wouldn't fight someone who couldn't defend themselves. And do it so violently."

"Stop. Please, stop," Sakura cried into Sasuke's shoulder blade.

"Look at me, Sasuke," I demanded. He ignored my request, staring at Dosu like his prey. "Look at me," I said, stern, anger and venom in my throat.

Reluctantly, his eyes slowly met my gaze. His expression shifted, his eyes became more focused, almost intrigued.

"That's enough," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

The distraction was enough to clear some of Sasuke's sense. His temper calmed and his ink markings receded, consequently. By the time his skin was completely rid of the inked snake, he collapsed into Sakura's arms. I couldn't help by sink to my knees as well. Between the adrenaline rush and Sasuke's actions, I was exhausted.

"You're too strong, Sasuke. We can't hope to defeat you the way you are now," Dosu chimed in. "We'll strike you a deal. We give you this scroll and you let us go." He placed an Earth scroll hesitantly down, like he was on a mine field. "It would seem we underestimated you, but at least we found out what we needed to know…for now. But we will meet again soon and I promise, we won't run or hide."

He was about to take off with his unconscious teammates, but curious Sakura stopped him. "Wait. Who's this Orochimaru anyway? What had he done to Sasuke? And why Sasuke?"

"I don't know. I don't know why he set us after someone he bestowed so much power to. I don't even know how Sasuke survived the curse mark."

Before Sakura could ask anymore questions, he vanished, leaving the scroll behind. With the coast now clear, Team 10 jumped out from cover.

"Ino, checked on Lee. Choji and I will check on the kid," Shikamaru commanded.

"Right," Ino replied.

They rushed to their aide as I noticed Lee's other teammates. The teammates named Neji and Tenten stood by on a distant tree branch, observing. Who knew how long they have been there, or what they have seen. The boy in to duo, was Neji Hyuuga, Hinata Hyuuga's cousin. They shared the same lavender pupil-less eyes, a bloodline trait in the family, like the Uchiha's. His eyes were activated. Thick veins popped out and branched around his eyes. It felt like he was looking through me.

After all that has happened, I could still see Sasuke's dark aura. I saw and felt the evil chakra flowing through him. The chakra from the curse mark. I overheard Shikamaru and Choji trying to wake up Naruto.

"Hey, Kid. Wake up," Shikamaru snapped his fingers.

Naruto's eyes were closed, but he was mumbling and smiling to himself in his sleep. "Sakura…" He giggled. "You're so pretty. You have pretty pony hair. I wanna pet it."

Shikamaru and Choji gave each other a look and I heard a unified smack.

"Hey, what was that for!" Naruto jumped.

"You were saying some weird shit in your sleep," Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "It was getting embarrassing."

Sakura picked herself up and went to check on Naruto, leaving Sasuke and I heavy heaps on the ground. Sasuke was back to normal; ink gone and sharingan deactivated… for now.

"How are you doing?" I huffed.

"What happened to you?" He asked, eyes wide like a fishbowl.

I didn't understand what he meant. Not until I peered into his eyes. Through his glassy, onyx eyes, I could see the reflection of myself. A scared, disheveled girl sitting on her knees. Bruises caked her skin and clothing was torn. Her eyes had a look of fright as they shined a blood red. Two black specks circled the iris.

"Sasuke…" my voice was hoarse, on the verge of hysteria.

"Quorra, why do you have the Sharingan?" He asked, breathless.

I reciprocated his fear with the answer:

"I don't know."

* * *

**Quorra had an interesting dream-something we haven't read in quite some time. This one being different. Could have this happened or was it a figment of her imagination?**

**Dosu saw something in Quorra's eyes but she didn't understand what. Not until she sat with Sasuke and peered into his. The Sharingan. But how?**

**Preview to next chapter:**

"Get down Sakura!" Naruto warned, tackling her to the ground. "Everyone get down! That ninja could be anywhere!"

**As I Wake reached two milestones this week. Over 100 favorites and 150 followers! Thank you so much for all of you's love. Fav/follow/comment to read Quorra's story unravel!**

**xo**

**P.S. This dream scene was inspired by my lone walk in the woods... on my third glass of Sangria... oops.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Taste the rainbow; taste the language.

Thank you yssajeq, Deathcutie20, and PurpleRawan for your reviews. It warms my heart to read how much people enjoy my story. I always look back at the reviews whenever I'm feeling down. Thank you so much!

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter thirty-one: The Unforgotten Voyager**

Sasuke coached me on how to deactivate the Sharingan while Shikamaru lectured Naruto.

"Get up Naruto. Your embarrassment is such a drag," Shikamaru complained.

Naruto's clouded mind cleared, viewing Shikamaru and Choji staring down at him. "Where did that grass ninja go?"

"How's he going?" Sakura asked, walking over.

"Get down Sakura!" Naruto warned, tackling her to the ground. "Everyone get down! That ninja could be anywhere!"

"Naruto! What are you doing?" Sakura lifted her face out of the dirt.

"Oh, no! She got your pony hair – I mean hair! I'll make her pay," Naruto growled, shaking his fists.

"You are really one of a kind, that's for sure. And I mean— you're the kind that gets on my nerves," Shikamaru bantered.

Sakura pushed Naruto aside and he toppled into the dirt. "Oh, that's all." She dusted herself off. "I just wanted to… change my look. I like it better long, but when I'm out in the wilderness like this and I'm moving around all the time, it gets in the way too much." She smiled, putting on a brave face.

Naruto nodded, not questioning Sakura's word, or the fact that the hair looked like it was cut by a four-year old. "So what's your guys' story?" He asked Shikamaru and Choji. "What are you doing here in the first place?"

"He's so out of the loop," Shikamaru sighed.

"He's so out of the loop, he doesn't even know there is a loop," Choji agreed.

Ino assisted Lee to the group. He laid unconscious on her shoulder.

"I'll take care of him," Tenten told Ino, taking the limb ninja into her arms. "Pull it together, Lee! Snap out of it already!" she screamed, shaking him furiously like a broken piñata.

Lee eyes creaked open. "Tenten, is that you? What are you going here? Where are the sound ninja guys?"

"I came to help you out. What were you thinking, fighting them on your own? And Sasuke took care of them. Don't worry about them, Lee."

"Really?" He peered over at Sasuke, who I was assisting to walk.

"Lee…" Sakura walked over as he stared up at her. One of his eyes was swollen and half closed. "Thank you. Because of you, I was able to stand up for myself and I've become a little stronger. You too, Quorra. Thank you."

"It wasn't me," I smiled, exhaustedly. "You did it all yourself."

"Sakura…" Lee's youthful eyes teared up. "Thank you, but I guess my efforts alone weren't enough. Sasuke," he turned to the Uchiha, hanging off Tenten's shoulders. "You are as good as your reputation. Just what you expect from the Uchiha clan. I just got beat to a pulp."

Sasuke jolted underneath my arm at the comment. He doesn't understand the shinobi we were up against were no laughing matter while he handled them effortlessly.

"There seems to be another Uchiha to watch out for now," Tenten said, skeptical. She stared my battered body up and down with a questioningly look.

"Wait, what?! Quorra! You're an Uchiha?!" Naruto's eyes were bugging as he did a double take. No one criticized Naruto's abruptness. Everyone was thinking the same thing.

"I'm not an Uchiha," I answered, not at all convinced. If I possess the Sharingan, the bloodline trait that only the Uchiha clan have, that means I have to be part of the clan… right?

"How do you explain your eyes then?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Yeah, we all saw it when you avoided that guy's sound wave. You had the Sharingan," Choji pointed.

"You have the Sharingan! Man, I missed so much," Naruto whined.

"Told you you were out of the loop," Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"Your chakra levels went all out of whack," called a voice. It was Neji Hyuuga deciding to join the group. His eyes deactivated as he settled onto the soil.

"How could you tell?" I asked.

"Neji's kekken genkai is the byakugan. It allows him and any Hyuuga to see the chakra network within a shinobi," Tenten informed.

Neji nodded affirmatively. "Sasuke's was powerful, growing exponentially. But yours— I couldn't even begin to comprehend what was happening. I've never seen anything like it."

Everyone stood with wonder, unable to comprehend it any better than I could. At least it made sense why Sasuke's chakra became so powerful. It was from Orochimaru and whatever he did when he gave Sasuke this "curse mark". But, Orochimaru didn't lay a finger on me. What was my excuse?

"Hey, Sakura. Come over here. I wanna fix your hair," Ino called, causing a ripple in the eerily calm river.

Sakura stared at her love rival questioningly until she gave a last minute smirk. "Yeah, I would like that."

"We should be going," Neji decided. "We have less than 24 hours left and we have yet to get a scroll."

Lee looked disappointed, but understood Neji's reasoning. "Right… goodbye Sakura. If you ever need me, I'll always be there for you and I will become a stronger ninja," he smiled at his pink-haired crush. Sakura smiled warmly back as Tenten and Neji each took a side and disappeared without a further goodbye.

Shikamaru, Choji, Naruto, Sasuke, and I were left standing while Ino and Sakura were together a small distance away. Sakura kneeled on the ground while Ino held a kunai knife to her hair. Long strands on uneven hair landed in Sakura's lap.

_At least they are getting along now,_ I thought.

Their voices got louder, allowing me to hear bits of their conversation.

"Why you sneaky little troll…hugging him like that, Billboard Brow," Ino hissed.

"Haven't you heard the expression: 'All's fair in love and war?' You little Ino Pig."

_Or maybe not…_

Sasuke stared shakily at his hands. "What's happening to me?"

"What happened to me, too? I can't seem to remember much besides Slitherpuss," Naruto scratched his head.

"You don't remember going Ape-shit on Orochimaru and his snake?" I asked. The news was shocking to me. How did Naruto not remember something like that?

"Orochimaru? That's his name? No… It all feels like a dream or something," Naruto said with a puzzled look.

I wish I could give them answers, but I couldn't even give an answer for myself. "What's happening to us?"

* * *

"Time to eat!" said a clone of shirtless, boxer wearing Narutos. "Shadow clone fishing jutsu. Bombs away!" Multiple back-to-normal Narutos jumped into the clear waters below. Fish flew into the air from the Narutos' destruction while Sasuke threw kunai knives, piercing the tree with our meal.

After Sakura got her hair done by Salon Ino, we said our goodbyes to Team 10 and headed off. Since we were all battered, but more importantly, starving, I knew exactly where to take them.

"Come on, is that it? I only got three. I could eat that on my own. Go do it again," Sasuke complained.

"What!?" Naruto yelled. Steam and water sprayed out of his nose. "If you think it's so easy, why don't you get wet and I'll stand on shore!"

"Play nice you two," I lectured while tending my wounds. "We're all starving here. You're lucky I even knew about this place."

"Yeah," Naruto huffed, scowled in defeat. "How'd you find this place anyway?"

"I fell in the rapids after being chased by three-eyed, blood thirsty monkeys," I shrugged, thankful to find a section where the water was calm enough to fish. "Hopefully we don't bump into those fucking abominations."

"Oh, cool…What?!"

"Sasuke, the fire is ready to light. I could use one of your fireballs," Sakura called.

"Ugh, I have to do everything around here," Sasuke complained, obliging to Sakura's request.

"What do you think I've been doing!?" Naruto yelled.

* * *

After the fire was lit and the fish caught, we sat huddle by the fire as the fish cooked. The aroma was brightening my spirits already, and making my stomach growl.

"Man, these fish smell amazing! I could eat a whale," Naruto beamed, licking his lips for emphasis.

I couldn't agree more and happily bit into the fish. Its scales were a putrid green, with mutant teeth in its gills and a long tail like a lizards. But hey, food was food, right?

"They might have fallen into radioactive waste that will probably mutate and turn my skin green, but man this is good," I spoke through vicious bites.

Everyone scuffed down their meal, not complaining as their food was shoved to maximum capacity in our mouths. Naruto looked like a chipmunk high on nuts. I surprised he didn't choke.

"It's already been four days since the second exam began. We're sure not going to be breaking any records," Sasuke broke the silence.

"I wonder how many of the other teams got there's already and finished and just waiting at the tower," Sakura wondered, staring at the fire.

"At least we have both of our scrolls and all that's left is to get to the tower," Sasuke concluded.

"Wish I could say the same." I placed my head on my knees. "It's bad enough I don't have both scrolls, but I don't even have my teammates."

I stared sadly at the fire, feeling the mutant fish corrode in my acidic stomach. Where could they be? I haven't seen them since the first day of the second exams. With it being days later, who knew where they could be. So much could have happened since then. Knowing Leda's attitude, I was worried for her safety. And even if I was mad at Mae, I hoped she was alright, too. "I really should go find them. Like you said, Sasuke, there's only 24 hours left."

"You can't go on your own, Quorra," Sakura said, concerned.

"Yeah, believe it!" Naruto joined.

"But I don't have a choice –"

"They're right. That would be ill-advised. Look what happened the last time you were on your own," Sasuke said.

I thought back to my lone days in these bastard woods. My near death experience with Gaara and my even nearer death experience with a horde of seriously PMSing monkeys. Not to mention the rapids trying to drown me and swallow me whole wasn't exactly the icing on top of a yummy cake.

"Shit."

"I'm going to get water," Sasuke stood and left, leaving Naruto, Sakura and I by the warm, now fishless, fire.

We were cleaning up when Einstein spoke his genius plan." Hey Quorra, I know how we can get both scrolls without having crazy creatures attack or having to fight anyone," Naruto said in secret.

"Huh?"

"Look," he took his pouch and emptied its contents on the riverside ground. One of the many things being scrolls that he lifted for show. "I got tons of them. You know manuals of ninjutsus and stuff like that. I could change two of them to make them look like the Heaven and Earth scrolls."

"Don't you even think about it, Naruto," Sakura scolded. "Even if you could fake the outside for Quorra, how do you fake what's inside? You couldn't know unless reading it and that's against the rules, idiot."

"I think I got it all figured out," Naruto pointed. "I think they got a secret code in them that will only make sense if you put both of them together." The more Naruto thought about it, the more convinced he was. "Yeah! And the secret code is the password you need to get into the tower at the end of the exam! It makes perfect scene."

"The only thing that makes perfect scene is that you're a nimrod," Sakura drove a knuckle to Naruto's skull. "Can't you get it through your empty head? We are strictly forbidden from opening the scrolls before getting to the tower."

Naruto grabbed the top of his throbbing head with both hands. "I know, but if we don't do anything, Quorra isn't going to make it!"

The riled Sakura was silenced. She knew Naruto had a point and I did as well. The possibility of my team and I passing was growing bleaker by the second as we wrapped up the last 24 hours in this hell hole. We stared at each other with the same dangerous question. _Was it worth the risk?_

"I'm going to open and read the scrolls," Naruto announced, more of a question than a statement. Neither one of us stopped him, both too afraid to move.

Naruto gulped as beads of sweat formed on his brow. His hand shook has it took several attempts to pick at the corner of the scroll with his short, worn nails. I felt like I was in Orochimaru's paralysis jutsu. My eyes froze at Naruto's hands, at the scroll. I knew that this could be booby-trapped, but my eyes stayed glued and my heart raced. Once in his grasps; however, he slowly lifted up the corner…

"I wouldn't do that I were you," a hand shot out of nowhere, grabbed Naruto's hand and the partially opened scroll.

* * *

"I can't believe you guys," scolded Sasuke. His arms crossed with disappointment.

"Sorry, Sasuke," Sakura and I said, looking down like punished children. Naruto mumbled some sort of half-ass apology.

Our savior stood next to Sasuke with his arms relaxed. It was the genin who gave us rookies some tips at registrations.

"You're lucky I was coming along like I was," said Kabuto with relief. "I've seen what happens to those who have broken the rules and tried to open the scrolls. They are protected by a powerful hypnosis jutsu. It will knock you senseless and by the time you wake up, the exam is over."

_Shit, _I thought.

"Kabuto, right? What you doing wandering around by yourself?" Sasuke questioned with a skeptical brow.

"Don't worry. I wasn't taking either of your scrolls. I have both of mine already," Kabuto reassured, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out both Heaven and Earth scrolls as proof. "I had a run of luck, but lost track of my teammates. I was just on my way to the tower now. You lost your teammates too, didn't you," he asked me. "Maybe they got the other scroll and are heading to the tower as well."

Kabuto did have a point as it was possible for Leda and Mae to manage to snipe the other scroll. And if that was the case, the next obvious choice was to head towards the tower. Scroll or no scroll, the tower was the only logical place to reunite with my teammates.

But did I trust Kabuto? I thought back to what Leda said during registration. Besides the fact that he was a four-eyed bastard, he helped the rookies by providing important information and strategical tips. And, again, he was helping us, but instead out in the field. _Why go so out of your way to help someone- and rookies on top of that?_

"Let me guide you all to the tower. If you find your teammates and they have both scrolls, great. If not, I know a way you can possibly nab both scrolls," Kabuto offered.

"How'd you know I didn't have either scroll?" I asked in an accusing tone.

"Come on, it's the best chance you got. You think you will be able to get both scrolls on your own?" Kabuto countered, pushing his overly round glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Come on, Quorra. Let's kick some ass!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yeah, let us help you," Sakura added. "You helped us, it's our turn to return the favor."

I turned to Sasuke for his input who nodded his head, agreeing. I growled in frustration. I knew what had to be done. "Alright, it doesn't look like I have any other choice."

"I'll show you the path to follow," Kabuto informed us. "But let's go. It's best we get out of here. The smell of that cooking fire will draw every beast out here. And not only animals… competition, too."

* * *

Team 7 and I followed Kabuto towards the direction of the tower. We leapt through the trees on long, sturdy branches, each step closer to our target. It was better to take the higher ground since more competitors and predators were lurking on the grounds below. We moved swiftly as time was ticking and the sun started to set on the last night.

"Think there's still other candidates out here?" Sakura asked.

"_Oh, yeah_," Kabuto replied. "They're out there, alright."

"And how do you think I'll be able to get a set of scrolls, then?" I questioned, trailing behind Kabuto.

"We," Sasuke corrected. "How are we going to get the scrolls?" I smiled at my comrade.

"Just think about it. What do you think the most efficient way in finding the scrolls in an area as large as this? Searching through the forest for them?" Kabuto challenged.

"Huh, no?" I replied.

"No, you wait for them to come to you. The tower at the center of the forest is the goal, right? So, we head towards the tower, find a hiding space and when a team comes by with the scrolls, we jump and take them."

"Oh yeah, I get it. Like an ambush," Sakura calculated.

"Exactly, but you guys aren't the only ones thinking of this. Every other team who is lacking a scroll will be lying and waiting just like you," Kabuto warned.

"So, what? The more the merrier I say," Naruto bragged, pounding his chest like an alpha male. "Whoever they are, we'll take care of them. Wouldn't want this to be too easy, that's no fun."

"Even at the home stretch, you can't relax for an instant," Kabuto gestured to Naruto.

The plan was set out, but like Kabuto said, you can't relax – not even for a second. His idea was thought out by many others who were just as hungry to get their hands on a scroll. Even with the 4-man advantage with Team 7 by my side, will that be enough? We were all still sore and exhausted from the days before.

I peered over at Sasuke. His stoic look as he leapt through the trees. He should be in the most amount of ache, with whatever the hell that bastard Orochimaru did to him. Yet, it was impossible to read it on his stern, expressionless face.

And after all of this and we somehow _do_ manage to get a scroll, how can I trust Kabuto or one of his team members not to steal it? There were people in here that steal extra pairs of scrolls for sport.

"This seems impossible," I sighed.

"There's the tower," Kabuto stopped and we followed suit. "That means the end is in sight. Now comes the hard part."

"Well it's about time, bring it on!" cheered Naruto.

"Keep your voice down. You don't want anyone to know you're coming," Kabuto shushed.

"Oh— right, my bad," Naruto rubbed the back of his head with guilt.

"Now, what," Sasuke asked.

"Now we find a hiding spot and let the waiting game begin."

A loud rustle filled the forest air behind us. "What was that?" Sakura asked, fear flashing across her face. I jumped back with Sakura, fearing it was the monkey horde getting ready for round two.

Naruto instinctively pulled out a knife and threw it at the source. Crawling on the large bark of a large tree was a large bug with many of not-so-tiny legs. "It's just a giant centipede."

"Just a giant centipede." Sakura shook with a blue face; arms brought close to her chest. "That thing gives me the heebie-jeebies."

"I was saying, now we find a hiding—" Kabuto proceeded to say, but was cut off but an ear-piercing sound that brought all of us to our knees.

Sakura screamed while Sasuke cried out in pain. Even Kabuto was effected by it. His glasses shattered as he buried his hand in the soil trying to cancel out the noise, but there was no escaping it.

On the ground as well, I dabbed my ear, knowing there will be traces of blood. This was the first time I have ever been hit with this kind of attack and unfortunately understood why it was so deadly. And I knew _who_ this attack came from.

"Long time, no see," called a voice. Standing there was Dosu along with his teammates. Zaku's arm hung lame, clearly still broken from when Sasuke tore it out of its socket, but one of his arms looked usable. Kin was no longer unconscious and ready for a rematch.

"You guys again," I growled. The growling hurt my ears has I started to see double vision. Everything was thrown off balance and my stomach did flips in my abdomen. As a result, everything came back up.

_There goes the radioactive fish._

"Told you we'd be back," Dosu snickered. "We're not the type of people to give up so easily."

"Oh, yeah? I'll show you what giving up really means!" Naruto yelled. He tried to stand, but the last attack still impaired him, it impaired all of us, as he stumbled to the ground.

"Naruto…" Sakura moaned for her teammate, in her own pain.

Sasuke was clearly struggling. His face twisted with pain and anger with his hands grabbing his ears. Sakura looked with worry.

I glared down at my enemies wishing I had the ability to combust them with my eyes. "I'm going to make you pay for this," I spoke through clenched teeth. "You're going to wish you never came back."

Zaku pulled out a knife with his good hand. "I'm first going to deal with this loud one and then I'm going to kill each and every one of you, slowly. So that you see your comrades die a sweet, painful death." He smiled, thrilled at the idea.

"She slept with the wolves without fear for the wolves knew a lion was among them," I threatened. One arm wasn't going to scare me off that easily.

Zaku didn't appreciate the words of wisdom as he approached me. I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn't move. My brain was rattled and my ears felt like fire ants were devouring them from the inside out.

Hovering over me, "Say goodbye, you sheep." He took the knife and plunged it where my femoral artery would be. It was a mere inch away before it was knocked out of his hand. The blade soared through the air and hit the ground.

"What the-?" Zaku and the others searched for the intruder who ruined their fun.

Emerging from the forest, she was battered and bruised, but it was her. "'Sup fuckers."

"Leda," I croaked, tears of relief filled my eyes.

"Leda, you shouldn't be running into these things without a plan," Mae fought her way through a bush. Twigs stuck out of her short, brown hair as she weld a kunai knife.

"And who are you?" Zaku asked with annoyance.

She placed one hand on her hip and the other pointed at her enemy. "I'm Leda. The expert at sexting. The girl whose curtains matches the drapes. The badass mothertrucker who's going to kick your ass!"

* * *

**A bit of a filler chapter but still filled with good moments! Quorra and Team 7 eat some "foreign" fish and Kabuto stopped Naruto from making a big mistake. Can Quorra trust him?**

**The Sound gang is back for round two but this time it's different. Leda and Mae have reunited with Quorra. Will they kick ass or will things get hairy? Can they stop the Sound once and for all?**

**Preview to next chapter:**

"Mae!" But it was too late. The force sent her flying deep into the woods. Her body was nowhere to be seen, only the sound of rustling leaves and snapping branches.

**Just another thank you for reading this chapter. If you enjoyed it, fav/ follow/ review with any suggests or predictions with what you want to read next!**

**I really do put a lot of time into this story to make it different than others. It's my outlet in life and wish to share it with others so they too can get wrapped into my twisted mind. Even though my following is a decent size and thankful for you all, are there any suggestions with how I could attract new readers? Maybe if my story summary was more interesting? I don't know... Feel free to PM me if you have any suggestions :)**

**Anyway, until next time!**

**xo**


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Mild language and ass kicking. Viewer discretion is advised.

Thank you PurpleRawan for your review!

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter thirty-two: Hairy Ass Kicking**

Standing before everyone was a girl who has been missing for days. She may be bruised with torn cargo pants and an even shorter than normal crop top, but her spirit was radiating.

"So, which punk wants to be dealt with first?" Her amber eyes were on fire. She wasn't backing down.

"Will the supply of undertrained degenerates ever cease?" Dosu insulted, sighing with annoyance and disgust.

"Who cares? One arm or not, I'll blast through every single one of them." Zaku bragged, believing he was invincible despite the lame arm.

"Don't you even dare," I spat venom. I would never have my teammates injured because of me, not if I could help it. "Don't you take one step closer."

Zaku chuckled at my threat, not taking it too seriously since I was still a crumpled mess. Because of Dosu's sound wave attack with that metal box on his arm, blood streamed from my ears and my last meal was at my feet.

"Now I get it. These are your teammates. I was wondering why you were alone. This deserves a proper greetings." Zaku pointed his air cannon, palm out, towards Leda. It aimed directly at her heart.

"Don't…" I coughed. My stomach was so empty, I felt the acid gnawing away at my esophagus. Leda stood offensively. Mae was on edge as well.

"Oh, I won't hurt your precious girlfriend," he stared between my two teammates. "Yet…" and he suddenly shifted his arm from Leda to Mae and shot, rapid fire.

"Mae!" But it was too late. The force sent her flying deep into the woods. Her body was nowhere to be seen, only the sound of rustling leaves and snapping branches.

Leda snapped. "You fucking prick." Her words were venomous, but from the twitch in her brow, I could tell she was more nervous than she led on.

Zaku smiled at his accomplishment and aimed his weapon at his next victim. "Don't worry, Fireball. I didn't forget about you."

Leda's teeth clenched. "You're going to regret that, Ass hat."

Zaku smirked. "I've heard worse," and he shot his air pressure cannon.

The air missed Leda by mere inches. With the power of the Sharingan, I swallowed my pain and raced to her before she was hit. We tumbled to the ground, but my reflexes threw myself on top, hovering over her, defending her.

"It's okay. I got you," I spoke, starring down my enemy with red eyes, avoiding eye contact with Leda. I wasn't ready to acknowledge my newly found powers.

"Quorra…" her lack of a nickname drifted into the forest zephyr as I raced to Zaku.

Quickly approaching, the Sound ninja's arm rose to backhand me, but I already knew it was coming and ducked under his useless attack. I raced behind him and with my leg aimed high, I wrapped it around his last functioning arm and pinned it roughly to his back. My knee dug into his spine.

"So I wasn't mistaken. You do possess the Sharingan," Dosu observed with his head slightly tilted. Intrigue riddled his face, but there was something else under those layers. Fear.

My ruby eyes glared menacingly at him, but he wasn't mistaken. This was a new part of me now and I had to accept it. Some things I was forced to accept quicker than others. It was a kill or be killed world in here.

The group didn't look so hot. Kabuto managed to drag himself to a nearby tree and fell into a comfortable state of unconsciousness. Sakura huddled close to Sasuke, who seemed to be in excruciating pain. He was hunched over with a hand gripping where he was bit.

Sasuke tried to stand. "I need to help her."

"No, Sasuke. You can't," Sakura cried, but the pain was too much for him as he fell to his knees. There was no way he could fight.

"She's right, Sasuke. Just leave it to me," I said, not breaking contact with Dosu. Something about these Sound nin and their association with Orochimaru was affecting Sasuke. No way could he fight.

Sasuke growled, but he knew we were right. The effects from Orochimaru were wearing on him. "Dammit."

Who got me even more worried was Naruto. He was awake, but he was staring into space, zombified. Something was up with him.

"Interesting. You seem to be experienced with the Sharingan, but your teammate here is staring at you like she's seen a ghost," Dosu observed, pointedly.

Leda sat up as she recovered from my tackle. She was, for once, speechless, staring at me like I wasn't me. Like I was some kind of science experiment.

"Which means, either you've been hiding it or you just acquired it," Dosu concluded. "Which isn't possible."

I pushed my current thoughts and avoided the accusations and pulled a knife out. Zaku laughed under my grasps.

"You're going to take my arm off with that dull thing?" he joked.

"Oh, no," I sneered. "Haven't you heard of Hammurabi's Code? An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth." I don't let him answer as I laid my final verbal blow. I hovered close to his ear and practically at a whisper, "And hearing for hearing… bitch."

Before he could react, I drove my blade into the conch of his ear. Twisting the blade, he hollered as I released him and he collapsed in pain. Stepping over his crouched body, I returned to my partner.

I held out my hand for Leda. She looked at my hand, foreign, like it was a cornered snake about to bite. Her necklace hung out of her shirt. The lapis jewel brought out her doe eyes, making the whites look whiter.

Her seeing me like this broke my heart, but her protection was more important than my feelings. "We are a _pact_," I smiled, knowing her would know the secondhand meaning.

The words hit her and she shook out of her daze. A loud slap came from our hands connecting as I pulled her to her feet.

"Thanks, Quart," Leda smirked.

"I gotcha back," I smirked back.

Zaku was on the floor, hold his bad ear with his good hand. "You'll pay for this," he growled. He sounded disoriented from his ability to only hear out of one ear. His words were delayed, but his bitter hatred was plenty there.

"Don't think so, Deaf Boy," Leda instigated.

Between the Sound ninja and Leda and I, we were at a standoff. Two against three wasn't impossible, but it definitely wasn't preferred. The advantage we had was while they knew my move sets, they didn't know Leda's. She had a similar fighting style as the Sound, the ability to manipulate wind and air at multiple stages, which gave us the upper hand. If we planned this right, we still had the element of surprise on our side.

"Suck on this!" Leda shouted, performing hand signs and punched the air. Each blow sent off a wind sucker punch. The Sound dodged and countered with their own wind techniques.

We rolled out of the way. "You know we could have used your abilities as a surprise attack, right?" I gave Leda a disapproving look.

She waved me off. "Fuck the surprise attacks. I'm cutting it to the chase. I came here to fuck shit up and I intend on doing just that." She laughed, maniacally. Sometimes I questioned how I could be teamed up with someone so reckless.

The Sound ninja weren't too pleased with us. "Let me handle them," Kin volunteered, stepping forward. "If there's something I hate more than one Vanity Girl, it's two Vanity Girls."

"Who are you calling vanity?" Leda said with attitude, placing one hand on her exposed hip. "I think you got the wrong girls."

Kin stared Leda down like a lion tracking her next meal. "You're right. You're less of a Vanity Girl and more of a street hooker," she gestured to Leda's slightly over-exposed abdomen and underboobage.

Leda didn't miss a beat. "The correct term is _escort_. And at least I'm not a washed up, tone deaf, military sergeant." Leda referred to Kin's camouflage pants and combat boots.

It was then I remembered why she was my teammate. She's an encyclopedia for hurling insults and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Kin's eye twitched. She didn't appreciate the comment. "I'll give you tone deaf, bitch," and she clapped her hands into a seal. A piercing sound wave emitted from her.

Leda and I covered our eardrums, praying they wouldn't blow out. "Way to go, Leda. You just had to aggravate them even more," I yelled.

"Someone had to tell her," Leda grinned, clearly entertained even with fisted wedged into her ears. "Just called it my Random Act of Kindness for the day."

Kin screamed with frustration as her jutsu was set into motion. The annoying ring became less straining and more of a controlled sound. A bell that hung from the kunoichi's waist rung, creating a séance.

Even though calmer, this jutsu didn't fail to drive us to our knees. The world became disoriented. Up and down became indistinguishable.

"The bell resonances off to a particular sound wave that travels from the outer to inner ear, then to the brain. First comes paralysis and soon you will start hallucinating."

As Kin promised, each ring in the crisp air had us hallucinate multiple clones of her. Every moment the bell changed its ring, it controlled the number of Kin we saw. The lower tones we saw a few while the higher tones had multiples.

I tried to target the real Kin with my Sharingan eyes, but as resourceful has it was, it couldn't help me pinpoint which illusion was real and which were frauds. It could be that the Sharingan can't pinpoint illusions or it was because my inexperience and didn't know how. I've only seen Sasuke use it a handful of times.

My eyes couldn't spot the real one but I could still calculate her next move. "Leda, dodge!" I warned and rolled out of the way as Kin threw senbon needles, aiming for our vitals. We made it out of the way in time for the needles to hit the ground in front of us. Bells were attached to them.

I was too exhausted for these games. My brain tried to conquer up a plan. With the Sharingan, I was able to spot a blind spot in Dosu's attack. Maybe I could find one in Kin's.

With that intuition, I ran towards Leda. "I want to make that perv pay!"

Leda understood my code. "You got it!"

Just like the time I tried to catch Jiraiya from spying on the women's bath, Leda bent down as my foot stepped on her clasped fingers and she threw me skywards. She released a gust of wind that threw me even higher.

Sailing at my bird's eye perspective, I saw the vulnerable Team 7 and Kabuto huddled a distance away, shielding themselves from further injury. Below was a clear view of the Sound ninja. Zaku starring at Kin, overzealous with confidence. Knowing Kin was capable of taking us down. Dosu, however, had his head tilted upward, studying me. He was trying to solve the mystery behind my red eyes. Little did he know, there was no answer.

Kin was directly below me. My vulnerable eardrums ached as the bells and pitched sound resonated from up here. The number of Kins corresponded to the bell chimes. As quickly as the grainy, static entities came, they disappeared and reappeared. The _real_ Kin, however, was clearer than the others. Kin was stagnant in the swamp of sound.

"Leda! Real one, 2 o'clock!"

"Got it!" Leda went on the offensive towards Kin, who anticipated the attack.

The red head quickly performed signs and threw both hands at Kin. Palms outwards, her fingers fanned. Wind blew from each spacing of her fingers and swirled into a vortex. Leda manipulated the powerful force towards Kin.

The hurricane winds blew Kin's knee-length, black hair with such force that it became undone and whipped violently around her. Her hands tried to protect her face, but it was pointless. The winds were too strong.

Between the monsoon winds and the veil of hair, Kin was virtually blind. She was so vulnerable, she was unaware of the barrage of skuriken embedded in the wind tunnel. A horde of weaponry teared through her, cutting up her skin and clothes. And there was nothing she could do.

By the time I landed softly by Leda's air current, the damage to Kin had been done. Blood seeped through the Sound Ninja's clothes. Her arms and face were badly cut as well, but she remained standing. Leda grinned, giving me the thumps up.

"You Slut," Kin coughed. She stared downwards, casting a heavy shadow over her eyes. "Don't you think for a second you're through with me."

Leda opened her mouth to spit some kind of snarky remark, but I couldn't hear her. My Sharingan sensed a surprise attack. I ran to defend her, but something caught my ankle and I stumbled. I was suddenly submerged in a deep mound of earth.

Across the way was Zaku. He was squatting with his good hand on the ground. His smile was a picture worth a thousand words, a thousand farewells.

And then I felt it. The premonitions. Dosu ambushed Leda, running top speed towards her blind spot, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

It all happened in slow motion. Leda bragging and insulting Kin, Dosu approaching Leda, pulling out a kunai knife. Me, performing hand signs. Fire leaving my lips, but the speed was too slow as it crawled. It might has well have been smoke.

The line reached the grassy cover and set the grounds aflame, soon obstructing my view of Leda.

"Leda!" Panic rose from my chest. There was no answer as my panic multiplied. "Leda!"

"I'm okay," she called as the flames lost their fuel, dying down. But her voice shook; her words invalid.

The flames turned into candlelight allowing me to see her silhouette. She sat on her knees, cradling herself. Her fingers covered her rib cage, where her heart was.

"Leda!" She wasn't okay.

"I'm alright. It didn't hit anything vital. I'm fine," she reassured. She was right. The knife fell a few inches short of her heart but blood sept between her fingers. Her abdomen was covered and more dripped on the ground. I knew she was lying about being fine.

Dosu stood in front of her. His slumped shoulders made him look possessed. Even more so with a kunai in his hand and a mien in his eyes that screamed pure evil. Blood dripped from the blade, Leda's blood.

"I had it, Dosu," Kin spat, recovered.

"You did not," Dosu said nonchalantly, but with force. "That's why I had to step in."

"Let me finish these bitches," Kin demanded, pulling out her sebon needles.

"No, you had your turn. Let me have a bite." Zaku stepped forward. His smile was full of promise; none being too noble. His smug grin looked like he has already won this battle.

"You have no say in this. Neither of you," Dosu stared between his comrades. It was obvious he was the one who called the shots. Neither of them objected, but that didn't stop them from making unsatisfied faces.

"I'm ending this. I'm tired of playing these games." He rose his bloody blade. Catching the sun, light reflected brightly on the dirty blade.

"I'll kill you," I tried to keep my voice steady, menacing. Like I was his worst nightmare.

I failed.

Dosu smiled at the gesture. "You will do no such thing. Don't you see? You're not going to see the following day… neither of you will."

He frightened me. Zaku and Kin were all bad mouths. Their demeanor and actions were predictable, chaotic. Dosu, however; was very calm. He thought out his plans and was very methodical. When he said he would end us, I believed him.

I tried tugging at the mound of dirt, but it was useless. My foot wouldn't budge. Dread surged through me. I didn't know what to do.

Leda became paler than usual as the pool of blood around her grew bigger. She tried to put on her I-hate-the-world attitude, but her front fell short. She was losing her spunk.

"This is over," and Dosu's knife took the plunge.

Just as the knife was inches away from Leda's throat, a stream of water shot out of nothingness and knocked the blade from Dosu's hand. It clattered to the ground, adding dirt to an already filthy blade. At the same time, I felt the earth which engulfed my foot liquefy. Water filled the mound, turning it into mud. It loosened the soil enough to wedge my trapped foot out.

Dosu and the others look wildly around, trying to pinpoint the source of the attack— right as the leaf kunoichi presented herself from deep within the wilderness.

It was Mae.

"Mae!" I shouted, overfilled with joy. Now that's how you do a surprise attack!

"It was about damn time you showed up," Leda smiled, shakily. The blood loss was eating at her conscience.

"So you're still alive," Dosu pondered. Talking to Mae like she was a failed science experiment that miraculously shined from the dark.

Mae's fighting stance was straightened. She position herself into a posse she had done often. It was a position to lecture.

"I was observing from afar," she spoke matter-of-factly. She stared Dosu down, adjusting her glasses with authority.  
Together Mae and I helped Leda to her feet. Even if we weren't on the greatest of terms since our last encounter, I was grateful to see her. _But did she have to take so long before helping us?_

As if she could read my mind, "I needed to evaluate the enemy's attack moves to formulate a plan."

Still quenching her wound. "Well, did you come up with a grandiose plan, then?"

Mae looked at the injured Leda uncomfortably. "Yes, but it's not going to be easy to pull off. We're going to need some major teamwork. Especially from you, Leda, if you can handle it." She eyed Leda, just as unsure as I was with whether this was going to work.

"I can handle it," Leda confirmed.

"Leda…" I began. "I don't think—"

"I can handle it!" Leda pushed. She stared deeply at me. Even with the amount of pain she must be in, she didn't want to stop fighting. She couldn't. "So what's the plan?"

* * *

After Mae gave the run down in secrecy, I had to admit, it was brilliant. It was incredibly thought out, which I expected nothing less from Mae. But, with brilliance comes complication. We never did the things Mae filled us in on.

The Sound ninja didn't look too concerned with our plan session. "You girls done with your little time out? Not like it will do you much good," Zaku insulted. His entertainment by our attempt to defeat him was written on his face, clear as day.

I wish I could tell him off, warn him how he was going to eat his words. But, I couldn't. Even with my comrades and a solid plan, I didn't feel confident. _What if we couldn't pull it off?_

Leda wasn't as worried as I was. "Let's get this shit started then!" She pulled out small, red spheres from her weapons pouch and threw them at the enemies. Smoke erupted from the smoke bombs, clouding everyone's vision.

The Sound ninja conjugated in the center, back-to-back, ready to fight us off at any direction. The first part of the plan was set in motion.

"You think a little bit of smoke is going to stop us?" Kin yelled. "Then you bitches are terribly mistaken."

A bell ran through the air with striking familiarity. Kin's clones started to appear, disappear and reappear again. The tone of the rings rapidly changed, controlling the number of clones we saw with such speed, my Sharingan eyes couldn't keep up.

"I can't tell which the real one is!" I warned Mae as the Kins each pulled out sebon needles and threw them. Leda and I had our arms up to defend ourselves.

"You don't need to." Mae was expressionless – unconcerned- as she performed her first jutsu, ignoring Kin's threats and my distress. From the ground below, water rose and encircled the Sound ninja. They needles struck mid-way in the wall of water, also trapping them inside.

Dosu studied the water barrier intently, trying to figure out Mae's end game. Zaku, on the other hand, was just plain irritated. "Fuck this shit! I done with these petty moves!" His nose scrunched with irritation. Like our moves were insulting him, underestimating his power.

"Just tell me when." Mae mumbled to me. I didn't know what she meant by that.

Zaku rose his hand to the tsunami wall. "I'm going to blast through this puddle and annihilate all of you!"

My eyes saw what came next before it even happened. It finally clicked in what Mae expected from me. She wanted me to tell her the exact moment Zaku will strike.

"Now!"

Mae nodded briefly and with utter concentration, maneuvered and morphed her water into a bullet shape and shot it at Zaku.

Dosu's eyes widen as he put the pieces together. "Zaku, wait!"

But it was too late. He was too naïve, too overconfident. The moment Zaku activated his air pressure through the tube embedded in his palm was the moment Mae thrust water into it. It happened so quickly, Zaku didn't have time to react. Whenever you clogged one end of a loaded weapon, the direction of fire will always be the same—

Outwards.

It started with his arm. Chunks of flesh and muscle shot centrifugally, leaving his arm with bones. It didn't stop there as the momentum of the blast, the power he was so proud of, traveled up his arm and to his abdomen. His chest was gone. His heart and everything else detonated in a bloody, gut-wrenching explosion.

The Kins were clueless as the blast engulfed them. The last I saw were her eyes staring in horror behind the curtain of water.

The water protected us and the others as it stained red with blood and chunks of meat. It would have been a feeding frenzy for sharks.

Leda summed up the battle. "Holy shit." The words could barely leave her lips.

Leda and I stared in horror. Neither one of us knew Mae was capable of that kind of destruction. The girl who cried once when she got the extra credit answer wrong on a test. I was learning more and more about her in here.

"You did it." This time Leda louder, joyful. "You did it, Brainy-ache."

Mae didn't deactivate her jutsu. She stared sternly at the Dead Sea.

Through the chunks and blood, I saw it. Parts of the real Kin standing in place— or rather hovering there. Her bottom half was completely gone while the top half was barely recognizable. Standing behind her was the dead-eyed, slumped shouldered nin. Dosu.

"You used your comrades' body to protect yourself from the blast?" I couldn't fathom the option. The thought made me sick.

Dosu dropped his deceased partner. It made a nauseating squish sound on the floor. "I tried to warn him," he said. "But, he never listens. He was always so full of himself. Ever since _he_ gave him his wind tunnels."

I assumed when Dosu used the word 'he,' he was referring to the only person twisted enough to perform surgery to enhance a ninja's powers. Orochimaru.

Dosu starred pitifully at his other comrade, what was left of her anyway. "As for Kin, it was simple. It came down to her or me… I choose me." His eyes crinkled, telling me he was smiling under his bandaged face.

Leda and Mae eyed each other, not knowing what to say.

"You're barbaric," I spat.

Dosu chuckled. "Maybe so. But I am alive and they are not." He lifted his metal arm, ready for his turn to fight. "And soon… neither will you."

* * *

**What an intense fighting scene! Leda using wind techniques. Mae uses water. What was your favorite part?**

** It's a full out battle with two down, one to go. Will Team 13 be able to defeat Dosu? Or will their luck run out?**

**Preview to next chapter:**

"Leda and I huddled together a safe distance away, but Mae remained still. She didn't move from her initial jutsu activating spot—where her creation of a water wall was—which was in the blast range.

"Mae, get out of there," I warned. Leda stared at me with concern. _What was Mae thinking?"_

**Just another thank you for reading this chapter. If you enjoyed it, fav/ follow/ review with any suggests or predictions with what you want to read next!**

**Sorry for this chapter being uploaded late. I just got another job and now work six days a week *sighs* so chapters might be a bit delayed. But this job only goes until Oct. 31 once November hits, I'll be a writing machine!**

**Anyway, until next time!**

**xo**


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **There's a lot to warn you about, but I rather not say it.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter thirty-three: Steam, Blood, and Tears**

_"You're barbaric," I spat._

_Dosu chuckled. "Maybe so. But I am alive and they are not." He lifted his metal arm, ready for his turn to fight. "And soon… neither will you."_

Leda and I anticipated the enemy's sound wave blasts and quickly escaped from his line of fire. We knew all too well what he was capable of. Dosu wasn't like Zaku and Kin – who were now both dead – he was methodical, vindictive.

Leda and I huddled together a safe distance away, but Mae remained still. She didn't move from her initial jutsu activating spot—where her creation of a water wall to trap Dosu was—which was in the blast range.

"Mae, get out of there," I warned. Leda eyed at me with concern. _What was Mae thinking?_

Instead of backing away, Mae walked even closer. She appreciated the bloodstained water wall, the blood of Dosu's formal partners; mere inches away from its circulation. With a flick of her hand, she manipulated the water to ensure that all above Dosu was covered as well. It was a water confinement.

"What the fuck is she doing," Leda said in a breathy tone. We stared at Mae, mesmerized.

Dosu lifted his metal instrument to view. The metal still shined through the curtain of blood. "It's my turn," he glared at Mae and set off a series of sound waves.

Leda and I, even a good distance away, covered our ears instinctively. However, we learned, to our surprise, that there was no need.

Mae stood stoic and unharmed as the water surrounding Dosu warped. Thick, zig-zagging streams formed erratic patterns. It was as if you took a picture of pouring water and pulled sections in different directions. With the change of Dosu's pitch, the streams changed like a contortionist bending at strange angles. It looked unnatural. It defied the laws of gravity.

But it was protecting Mae. She stood inches away from the blast, unharmed.

Dosu gave Mae the evil eye. "So you knew."

"Of course I knew," Mae barked.

Leda and I cautiously approached Mae and the wall. Close up, the phenomenon was even freakier. The beads of blood swirled with the water. A kaleidoscope of color and death. It was poetic almost. The blood circulated like a creature—pumping as if alive. My hands extended, but did not touch in fear it might lash out which made the creation marveling all the more. I couldn't help but think of Unknown. Something indescribable but completely real.

"How is this possible?" I asked, awestruck.

"Who did you have to sacrifice to summon this kind of witchcraft?" Leda's question was more a suggestion, like _someone _really did have to be sacrificed.

"This isn't some magic trick and I didn't _sacrifice _anyone," Mae scolded Leda. "It's just the law of physics."

She stared at the natural beauty of the phenomena. How the streams change patterns based on the pitch of the sound. It was bizarre, but it existed in the realms of the real world. It somehow belonged here, like myself.

Mae pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Sound is a mechanical wave that vibrates back and forth through the particles of a medium. This medium is often air which has molecules furthest apart from each other. This means sound waves will take longer passing from one molecule to another."

"So sound travels faster through liquids than gas," I clarified, still not knowing where she was going with this.

Mae nodded agreeably. "The tighter the bonds, the less time it takes to pass through."

"But the sound isn't hitting us so what gives?" Leda crossed her arms, hand still on the open wound Dosu inflicted on her.

"What _gives_ is that not only is water denser, but it's also more compressible, meaning that it distorts sound, too."

I look at the waterfall, trying to grasp this "simple" physics knowledge. "So the water speeds up the velocity of sound, but distorts it."

"Yes, it shatters the sound waves into all directions. We can still hear and feel it, but it's barely a nuisance."

She was right. The destructive sounds that crimpled us to our knees now felt like a nagging fly, buzzing in our ears. It was more like an irritation than anything else. I knew Mae was smart, crazy smart… _but this was genius._

"It's really quite simple," Mae concluded.

So that's what Dosu meant when he accused Mae of knowing. Dosu was gunning for Mae to run away like Leda and I did so he could bluff the attack and escape. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't know who he's dealing with.

"Now I definitely know you sacrificed your stuffed animals as a kid," Leda huffed.

"Shut up, all of you," Dosu grumbled. He was the annoyed grandfather who didn't want to hear his grandchildren chat his ear off about their school crushes or who their favorite My Little Pony characters were— if grandfathers wanted their grandchildren dead.

"You think you outsmarted me, but I will get out of here and end you." His presence and desire shifted the air. Buzzing rang in my ear and it wasn't from his attacks.

Mae smiled, amused by the threat. "I not only know about kinetic energy and vibration patterns—I also know about temperature." Mae continued, aware no one was catching on. "You see, like before, the less dense a medium is, the faster the sound will travel through it. This also goes for temperature. The _hotter _something is, the faster sound will travel."

She stared at me as if she was trying to cue something. It took me several moments, but I finally understood what she was hinting. She wanted heat, and even if I couldn't fathom why, I could give her heat.

A hand sign and a deep breath later, the fire from my lungs set the blood water mixture aflame. Soon the substance turned to a hot red boil. Dosu was a lobster in a cooking pot.

Dosu's annoyance turned to anger. "You can heat water, so what?"

Mae laughed. It was eerie, distorted like she was a villain. Like she knew she won before this battle even began. "Come on, haven't you noticed? Steam is produced."

"Sound still moves through steam. What are you getting at?" As he said it, his visible eye widen. Realization hit him hard.

"Steam is a type of gas. And unlike _you_, we have someone who can manipulate multiple stages gas, steam included." Mae gestured her head to Leda, our fireball who was showing more red than I would like.

"Me?" Leda questioned, pointing to herself. Mae gave her a look, raising her eyebrow. "Oh- right. Right! Use your adolescence garage band noise and I'll redirect it right at ya. So suck on that, you Mummy!"

"Between the water particles in the steam and Leda's ability to control it, you have no chance. Attack us and Leda will direct the steam mixed with sound to you. A fatal blow by your own weapon since your sound would just speed up Leda's manipulation process. Don't attack, and we'll simply ambush you. How well can you fight three-against-one?" Mae asked.

I could scream, jump with joy, and kiss Mae all at once. It was a win/win situation. I sighed with relief. _We were going to get out of this._

"Just give up, Dosu," Mae finalized.

Dosu's stared at the three of us with vengeance. The cocky, jovial looks of three girls deepened his furrow. He wasn't going to let us get away that easily. From his back pocket he pulled something out. A red cylindrical object was in his grasps.

_Was that dynamite? _I stared in horror. _Was he going kamikaze on us?_

He rubbed two pieces of metal attached somewhere on his body to create a spark and lit the mystery object. It didn't explode but rather kept a steady intense lit shade of red. It wasn't dynamite. He wasn't trying to blow everyone up, including himself.

It was a flare.

"Should we attack his punk ass?" Leda asked Mae, finding Dosu's stunt a complete waste of everyone's time.

Mae didn't reply. She stared intently at Dosu, trying to read him. She and I both knew he wouldn't be doing something unless he had something up his long, bell-shaped, sleeve.

Her questioning eyes transitioned into a look of horror. It brought horror to my own and a stone plunked into the deep ocean of my stomach.

"Oh no," she said but it was too late to react. Before I could open my mouth, Dosu threw the flare at the water wall and caused an explosion of boiling water. It was violent like a balloon popping in someone's face—times a thousand fold.

The physical reaction threw me to the ground. The heat licked at my shins, tempting to scorch them. Mae and Leda threw their hand up instinctually, still holding their ground.

The extreme heat from the flare was too much for the water wall as it evaporated to a percentage of its size. A secondary explosion shattered its remainders and the impenetrable force field was now gone. Steam, blood, and tears—came tumbling down— pouring onto us.

Before I could recover, shooting from Hades' lair came Dosu. His long sleeves were singed, his bandages burned with the skin underneath erupting in blisters. But, he was freed and he knew who his first victim will be as he rocketed towards me, kunai in his scalded hand.

This was all happening so fast, even with the Sharingan, I couldn't make it out. How Dosu managed to outsmart a genius. How the tables turned within milliseconds. How in the world we got into this whole predicament and sting of events to begin with.

I laid frozen on the tainted ground—scraped, bruised, beaten. Just like Methuselah in my dream. The grandfather tree had fallen. I saw death approaching, rapidly. The Reaper being Dosu.

Nonetheless, just like the plants and animals in my dream, the others will rise to take my place. Leda, Mae, Team 7, everyone I care about will live on. They will grow besides me even when I am no longer there.

But instead of dying in the hands of Dosu and gobbled into the mouth of the Unknown…

It became dark.

* * *

All my senses were replaced with red. I felt the burning of my red skin. I tasted it; the red hot blood seeping from my mouth. I heard it; the roaring of the red fire. The fiery explosion that engulfed chunks of the forest, leaving the canopy patchy and the ground below even patchier. The ringing in my ears was endless. I feared I would never hear the same again. I smelled it, too, tainted in red. The smell of the red fumes as dust and ash filled my nostrils.

And I _saw_ it. Blood, gusts, blisters and destruction filled my vision and more. Everything that could be destroyed, was. It was the aftermath of a war between two opposing sides that finally met a brutal end. Neither could go on. An apocalypse was among us. I should have been dead. I shouldn't be witnessing any of this.

And lastly, I saw the fiery red hair of a girl I knew all too well, cascading over me. Laying in our mixture of her and mine's blood.

Leda's limb body collapsed onto my own. She remained motionless her blood dripped onto my vulnerable skin in dark Technicolor swirls.

Frantic, I lifted her off me and laid her gently on the ground. She was so pale, the veins were prominent under her rice paper skin. Webs of blue and green vines—the inner workings of an organic machine. Blood poured onto the ground, staining the earth.

"Leda-" I could barely choke out the word. Dosu's kunai pierced her back, wedged so deep that it poked through the front. Blisters played in patches on her body. The explosion left her with severe burns—from protecting me.

My hand hovered over her, afraid to touch her as if she might disintegrate beneath my burnt fingertips.

She groaned, regaining consciousness. "Fuck."

"Shh, don't say anything. Everything will be okay," I eased, trying to sound calm—like a doctor is with their patients.

Mae came stumbling over to us. "Oh my god, Leda!" Blood dripped heavily from a head wound.

"What happened?" I demanded. My head felt light, but heavy at the same time.

Mae looked frantically at me. "If anything is superheated past its boiling point too quickly in a confided space, it explodes. Fire can't do it, but he knew a flare burns hotter than a flame." Her glasses shattered from the blast making her eyes appear crazy, wild. "How did I not think of that?" She clawed at her tattered skirt in disappointment and defeat.

I knew how she felt awful about this. Her anxiousness and defeat radiated off her like the tides from a storm. Thinking it was her fault her genius mind thought of an infinity of possible tactics and outcomes except for the one Dosu pursued. The cost was heavy on her shoulders. The burden of her teammates and herself hurting from this—for Leda. I wanted to tell her that none of this was her fault, but as I looked at our spunky teammate laying helpless on the forest ground, I couldn't bring myself to say the words.

Sakura, along with Sasuke, were far enough away from the blast. They scurried over to us, unharmed.

"Oh, Leda," Sakura spoke, hurt. It killed her, like it did for the rest of us, to see Leda like this.

"Guys…I'm not going to make it," Leda mumbled. Her head lolled trying to fight consciousness.

"Don't be stupid!" I snapped. "Oh course you'll make it. We all will."

I spotted a carton of cigarettes a few yards away and didn't need to see the skulls smoking a joint on the packaging to know it was Leda's. They must have flew from the blast.

I ran over and snagged them. "Here, have one." As if this death joint was a cure, I fumbled to wedge my fingers into the carton and pull out a single toke as the box was full. The lack of space for my blood-ridden fingers crumbled and misshapen the cigarettes.

_Why was it still this full?_

Leda shook her head, rejecting my offer. This was worse than I thought, she never passed up a chance to set fire alarms off.

"It's too late for me," she smiled, weakly.

"Stop talking like that! We're going to get you help!" I yelled. How dare she speak like that? But her wounds were extensive. Old blood dried on her hands while the new seeped over. She barely complained as Mae elevated her head so it laid in Mae's lap. Her bright red hair was dark, caked with blood.

Leda ignored my scolding. "Do you remember when I asked if you were to die tomorrow, would you be satisfied with your last conservation?" she asked, looking at me.

I shook my head angrily, but I remembered. Before we started the Chunin exam, she was freaking out thinking that we weren't strong enough to fight against these more experienced shinobi. I was the one who told her we were going to be fine—that as long as we stuck together, we were unstoppable. Leda had a look of fire after that. She became the fierce bitch that everyone had a vendetta against. The girl I admired and loved for. Peering at those eyes now—those beautiful brown eyes, despite everything, they still could conquer the world.

As much as I wanted to fight it, I had to accept it. Leda was dying. I nodded my head, tears threating to obstruct my vision.

"I had a family, friends, and a life I was proud of. I was happy. Until my mother left and it all went to shit. I lost everything, my family, my friends, _my life. _I became addicted to smoking and prayed that it killed me, slowly. Because I thought that's what I deserved. Because I thought _I_ was the reason things happened the way they did." Leda coughed. Speaking zapped her energy. I wanted her to relax but she wouldn't listen.

"And then you come along. The girl who I wanted to pummel at first glance. I thought you were just like everyone else; happy girl with a happy family. But, the more I got to know you, the more I saw your fierceness and determination even when you had no one. Things that I didn't realize I lost until now."

"You're a badass bitch," she laughed, but abruptly stopped as it hurt too much. She ripped her necklace off and placed it securely in my hand. "I want you to have this. This is all I have left of her."

"Leda…" I looked at the small crystal in my palm. The royal blue shined. Leda didn't say it, but I knew. _This necklace is from her mother._

I grabbed her hand and squeezed tight. At that moment, nothing else mattered to me. Not the dumb exams, not how vulnerable we all were all right now, not the rustling of a horde of animals I heard in the distance.

"We fly together through thick and thin." I couldn't stop them as heavy streams of tears poured down my filthy face. So much has changed since then. We became friends, we became teammates. I smiled thinking back to when we ditched our last day of detention and escaped to her favorite hide out. The beauty of that night and the awe of seeing those group of birds in a new light. Leda as become my flock—my family.

She smiled blissfully like she was thinking the same thing. It was the most genuine smile I have ever seen from her. "Quorra…" she struggled. My heart skipped a beat. I never heard her say my name. She always gave me some corny nickname. I never realized how much I appreciated them until now.

"It's going to be okay," I said in one last ditch effort, but I knew better. I cried harder into Leda's hand and brushed her blood-caked hair with my other.

"Quorra, thank you… You're my…"

Nothing.

"Leda…" but it was too late. Before she could finish her last sentence, life left her eyes.

I took her from Mae and scooped her into my arms. Leda's thin body folded neatly there and I held her tightly like a mother holds a child. My tears fell heavily onto her face— her battered, beautiful face.

Mae, Sakura, and Sasuke stood over me. All of us mourning for our comrade. Mae hid her face in Sakura's shoulder as Sakura comforted her. Sakura's face was fresh with tears as well. Sasuke's stare was blank, but I wasn't fooled. He was crushed, too.

I rocked Leda in my arms. Every feeling was eating away at me from the inside, out. Hurt, anger, sadness—all of these were minute. But this other feeling, this feeling of being saved by the cost of another. I never want to feel this way ever again as the sobbing realization that Leda was truly gone rung in the evening air.

"How disappointing," called a voice. Four heads whipped to see who it was. He looked tattered with his sleeves mainly burned off and bandages barely covering his face, but he was still alive. Dosu.

"Only one of you died from that. Oh well, at least it was the Loudmouth."

"You…" I growled. The things I wanted to do to him, the ways I wanted him to suffer. But, I didn't want to leave Leda as I held her closer, defensively.

"Get lost!" Sakura threatened. "You're done here. It's over."

"On the contrary, I'm not done until each and every one of you is dead." Dosu rose his metal instrument up. Scorch marks and warped metal trekked the damaged weapon, but Dosu played his bets that it still worked. I had no doubts.

Dosu fell into fighting stance and Sasuke, Sakura, and Mae followed suit. Tension rung high in the air. No one was prepared for another round, including myself. It was going to be the next Great War—well it was, until a loud holler froze everyone in their tracks.

It was the same animal noises I heard before. And there they were, filling the trees and the ground below, were the monkeys. The same three-eyed, winged creatures that ran me off the cliff side into icy, raging river below. They hollered and pounded their chest, ready to fight.

Dosu, who stood closest to them, waved them off. "Get lost, you filthy animals."

The primates were angered by Dosu's belittlement and with a high-pitch holler, charged by the hundreds.

Dosu fought them off as they climbed upon him. He used his metal arm to smash each one who tried to sink their white, sharp teeth into him, but it was futile. There were too many and soon they over ran him. A mountain of animals climbed on Dosu and his shocked face was swallowed by black fur. All that was left visible was his metal arm that reached for safety but that too vanished into the sea of creatures.

Killing their first victim didn't slow them down. They were still out for blood as they charged for us. We held out our weapons, but we knew better.

"We got to get out of here!" Mae yelled.

We were about to fall to the bottom of the food chain when we heard the monkeys scream, but this time in pain. Towards the back of the group, monkeys were being thrown into the air by a powerful force. The cause of the ruckus made its way to the front of the line. Monkeys chewed on his arm and he knocked them off. It was Naruto.

"Naruto!" Sakura called with worry, but there it was again. Naruto wasn't himself as a red aura engulfed him. His nails were replaced with claws and his blue eyes were replaced with red cat eyes. His incisors were sharpen, canine.

"Go, I'll hold them off," Naruto called. His voice sounded rough, demonic.

"But…" Sakura began.

"Go! I got it!" Naruto intercepted. He punched the monkey that gnawed his arm and sent it flying. "Is that all you got, you three-eyed freaks!? Come at me!" He let out a battle cry and charged into the mosh pit.

Sakura and Sasuke wasted no time and ran to grab Kabuto, who was still unconscious, and ran for cover.

I quickly had the same idea and grabbed Leda. With my lack of strength, I couldn't carry her and her body already was starting to stiffen, making it hard to drag. After a few feet, the blood on her body and on my hands made it impossible to get a proper grip as she slipped out of my grasps. But I wasn't going to leave her.

"We got to go!" Mae yelled over the screams and mayhem.

"No!" I yelled with hysteria. "I'm not leaving her!" I continued to pull her from under her arms, inching ever so slowly.

Mae grabbed my shoulder and ripped me from Leda. "If you stay here, you're going to get killed. Then she gave up her life for nothing."

It was a slap in the face and I didn't want to admit it, but I knew Mae was right. I let out a gasping sob, but nodded and bent down to say my quick, final goodbyes.

With my last look at Leda, she laid there peacefully, immune to the chaotic world around her. I laid a gentle, farewell kiss upon her forehead, wishing true love's kiss would break the spell and placed her small gemstone necklace in her fragile hand. This was all she had left of her mother and even though she left Leda and her father, I knew Leda still cared for her. A piece of her mother should always be part of her, even in the afterlife. I couldn't take it.

As I whispered my short, sweet goodbye into her deaf ear, I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings.

"Watch out!" Mae called.

I jolted up to be greeted by one of those three-eyed freaks charging after me. Foam poured from its mouth. The rabid creature was begging for a bite. I cried out in anger and frustration and put all that energy and pain into a kick that hit the rabid beast square in the jaw. It hollered in pain, holding his fresh wound.

I scurried to my feet before it could try anything else, nodded to Mae, and together we ran. Tears flew as I ran and left her still body to get killed once again.

* * *

**...**

**This was a very hard chapter for me to write. Before I even knew Leda's name and created her character, I knew she was going to die. I didn't know where or why, but that was the plan. As her character developed, the more I became attached to her. Leda and the other girls are different exaggerated sides of my personality (explained further on my profile). Leda was my sarcastic, New Yorker side, the side that was daring and did things beyond my comfort zone. Leda, even though wasn't much of a role model, was someone I looked up to.**

**Because I felt this way, and I'm sure some of you do too- or just loved that she was a crazy bitch, there is a surprise on my profile that you might want to look into. *hint new story hint**cough***

**Until next time!**

**xo**


	34. Chapter 34

**NEW STORY ALERT *******For people who don't read my AN at the end of each chapter. 1. tsk tsk. 2.** new story called LEDA** is out*********

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Anko gets pissed...a lot.

Thank you kuriboh1233, xxOchibixx, Sophiebybophie, Makaylamann51, time-twilight, Jemmy, bonitalito, Ryu Nitram Captor, and sebabug for your reviews. Sorry, I know it was a hard chapter to read. Hopefully this one will be different!

To address some of you:

kuriboh1233: Mangekyo? mmm...

xxOchibixx: Clever. Kakashi, Kiba, and Gaara are potentials for Quorra. But you know me, things are _never_ that simple.

Makaylamann51: you'll see...

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter thirty-four: The Warrior.**

Death.

The termination of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. The body cease breathing as their eyes become lifeless; no longer viewing the world. They begin to decompose shortly after death, absorbed into the earth by worms, fueling the next generation or they are thrown in a box to rot for all eternity.

Different religions believed in different outcomes after death. Some believed in an afterlife; a little thing called heaven. That one day, you will reunite with your grandparents or your family pet. This would also mean you reunite with that girl that always pulled on your hair in school. Others thought that the present life was only a preparation for the next realm of existence. Or, a rebirth and reincarnation of their soul occurred after your last breath. All good theories but I, on the other hand, knew the truth.

Once dead, there was nothingness. No light will every reach your eyes, nor laughter hitting your voice. You become numb to the world as you witness it wiz by. Everything that you loved, found happiness for, was now gone. Sucked into this blackhole we called life. How could I know the answer to the question that has been theorized for thousands of years?

Because I was dead.

I was dead the moment Leda died, the moment her soul left her body and she went from a living creature, to a piece of meat. I was dead when Sasuke and Sakura assisted Kabuto to the tower as Mae, myself, and eventually Naruto, followed suit. Bruised and scratched, but safe. Naruto explained with dismay that he looked everywhere for Leda, but couldn't find her. He should have known his efforts were invalid.

The tower. The place where successful candidates went after they obtained both scrolls, quickly approached us. Mae filled me in that she and Leda did manage to snag the other scroll during our time of separation. But none of it matters, nothing matters anymore.

Even if I wanted to stay in the running to become chunin, I couldn't. The rules clearly stated that a team had to be at the tower with _all _teammates. Without Leda, we are disqualified. Without Leda, I was nothing.

* * *

By the time we got there, time was practically up. We entered a grandiose room. A ceiling high enough for an echo to get lost in. Strong, bulky columns ran along the walls, ensuring this place could survive a bombing. At the far end, hung an old, historical-looking clock. It ticked as the second hand inched up to its destination— the end of this part of the exam. Our feet clattered as we entered the room. Six pairs of feet that were unsure what came next.

"Looks like we're the last teams," Sakura observed, but immediately winced. _We _weren't the last teams,_ they_ were.

Teams were conjugated in the center of the abyss room. Anko was right, most of the teams were eliminated as less than half were here. Kabuto spotted his teammates and with a sigh of relief, reunited with them.

Neji and his team managed to nab their second scroll since we last saw them. Lee was jogging in place, excited for the upcoming obstacles—being his spunky, overenergetic self. Team 10 was here with Ino chatting loudly into Shikamaru's and Choji's ear. Neither were paying too much attention. Choji was eating a bag of chips, satisfied.

The Sensei were here too, even the ones whose team didn't make it. Gachero-Sensei was talking to Guy-Sensei. Kakashi, on the other hand, was hanging out towards the back. His foot propped on the wall, being the nonchalant guy that he was.

And finally there was Kiba who, at first sight of us, came trotting over. His teammates, Kakashi, and Gachero-Sensei weren't far behind.

"Hey, you guys made it! I was getting worried with time almost being up," he spoke lively.

The group and I were silent. Even Naruto kept quiet while his mouth hung open, but no words could escape his vocal chords.

"What happened to your glasses?" Kiba asked Mae, who hugged herself tightly. Her bottom lip quivered.

Kiba watched everyone knowing something was terribly wrong. His eyes widened with the realization. "Where's Leda?"

"Oh, Kiba," Mae cried, running into his arms. She sobbed into his jacket as he grabbed her into a supportive embrace.

Mae was full of emotion while I was stoic, numb to everyone's sadness, including my own. Like an infected cut that has been drained, my feelings went along with it. "She's dead," I stated, monotone.

As I spoke, I stared straight ahead, avoiding Kiba's hurt eyes that roamed at me, begging for me to explain myself. To tell me what I was thinking, what I was feeling, but I can't. The feelings were simple. Leda was dead, and the sooner I came to accept it, the better.

Mae cried even harder, heavy sobs were muffled into Kiba's jacket. Sasuke leaned on Sakura with a hand over the curse mark. Naruto balled up his fists with fury.

"Leda…" Hinata whispered. Her long-sleeved hands covered her mouth.

Kakashi was eyeing me as well, but knew better than to confront me. Instead, he took Sasuke from Sakura as she quietly got Kakashi up to speed with things. Gachero, on the other hand, doesn't know me like Kakashi does so when he placed a supportive hand on my shoulder, it took strength to not shrug it off. I knew he was just trying to help, but there was nothing he could do. There was nothing anyone could do anymore. The damage was done.

Suddenly, everyone's attention was drawn to the entrance. I honestly forgot all about this team, but once I laid eyes on them, the recognition and realization was instant. It was Gaara's team. And they made it just in time.

People were not discrete with their murmurs, but they couldn't be blamed. Gaara's team was dubbed the deadliest team in the competition by default. They were the team to watch out for and to avoid at all costs. And yet, they were the last team to arrive as the grand clock dongs midnight, officially closing this part of the exam with its loud, long, mournful rings.

Instead of joining the rest of the waiting groups, they headed towards us, towards me. Gaara stood in front of me with his teammates, Temari and Kankuro, trailing behind. Everyone around me was confused by the encounter as I never told them what happened in the forest. That I was caught spying on Gaara's team and their messy first-degree murder. That Gaara suffocated me with his sand manipulation with the full intent of killing me, yet here I was, still standing. It was a secret shared between myself and the sand siblings.

Kiba found the encounter infuriating, pushing Mae away. Mae was startled by the suddenness. "What do you think you're doing?" he growled, throwing an arm out, separating the short distance between myself and Gaara. Akamaru was acting strange as he jumped off his owner's head and cowered behind him. I didn't understand the aggressive defensiveness.

Gaara didn't seem bothered by the verbal attack. His eyes emotionless, dead as he stepped aside. There was something hovering behind him, something I didn't notice before, wrapped in his sand.

He flicked his hand and the object moved to the front and he settled it down. A quizzical look rose to my featureless face.

Gaara could see the puzzlement as we watched each other's eyes. Wordlessly, he controlled the sand to unravel itself. Like the grains of sand rolling down the dune from a strong breeze, the sand mound flattened. I quickly learned that the question wasn't what was hidden, but who.

I knew that red hair from anywhere. Leda.

Everyone gasped. Mae covered her mouth, eye round like saucers. We were all speechless. Even Kiba was dumbfounded, dropping his arm like a pebble thrown in the river. The waves of awe and shock were too much for me. My heart gave out and I fell to my knees besides her.

"I found the girl you were looking for," Gaara spoke. His voice was steady, factual.

When he captured me, I told him I was looking for a girl. He must have knew I was describing my teammate. I mean, who wouldn't know who Leda was. She was a hurricane and more unstable than a bucking bronco.

Looking at her now, her skin was white, making her hair all that much more vibrant. Her eyes remained open, looking up at the ceiling with a don't-fuck-with-me attitude. They were clouded over, blinded.

My look of grief made Gaara uneasy. "But… but I didn't kill her. I promise." His siblings were baffled by their brother's actions, but knew better than to say anything.

Silently, I placed Leda's head in my lap. She was cold and rigid to the touch. I caressed my hand in hers, moving her petrified fingers in hopes of finding her necklace. But as stiff as her fingers were, the necklace was nowhere to be found. It must have fell on her journey here. I immediately regretted losing the only thing I had left of her, but I would have gave it up just to see her one last time.

"Thank you, Gaara. I don't know how I will ever repay you for this." Heavy tears rolled down my soot streaked face. "You're my hero." It was a bold statement, but I meant every word of it.

Gaara's stone eyes widened, taken aback by the passion of my voice. He might not know what happened to Leda or what he has done for me by reuniting me with her, but he repaired something that I thought was broken forever.

* * *

The medical team allowed us some time to say our proper goodbyes to Leda. It wasn't a lot, but then again, it would never be enough. And as much as I didn't want to admit it, I understood their concerns. There was precaution when handling a body, such as diseases, and proper steps needed to be taken to prepare for her burial. They also didn't want to hold back the exams any longer, which was understandable, even if it didn't affect me. It was pointless since we will be disqualified for missing a teammate.

Twenty shinobi conjugated in the arena. This room was larger than the last. There, stood Lord Hokage himself along with the sensei and proctors for the exam. Iruka-Sensei stood beside them as well. Behind them were enormous statues of a pair of arms and hands that were positioned in the boar sign.

We were assigned to stand in line with our teammates. I stood in front of Mae while Naruto took lead of his team next to me. Teams were buzzing to each other with concern and excitement, but once Anko cleared her throat, everyone fell silent.

"First of all," she began. "Congratulations on finishing the second exam. Eighty-one ninja took this exam and, frankly, I'm surprised this many have passed."

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" Sakura questioned.

"What a drag," Shikamaru complained. "There are so many left. This is such a pain."

"I'm hungry," Choji whined.

"Sasuke and his team passed, too." Ino smiled, fiddling with her hands in excitement since her crush was here.

"Of course they did." Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "After all the trouble we went through to keep them safe, they better have passed. Quorra's team passed, too." He eyed me. "Well, perhaps not," he mumbled a bit too loud.

"I'm really hungry," Choji fussed.

"I also want to add how during this time around, a record has been broken," Anko added.

"A record? For what?" Ino asked.

Anko smirked. "One of the teams made it to the tower with both scrolls with the fastest time in Chunin Exam history."

The remaining teams searched scrutinizing at their opponents, not knowing who Anko was referring to. The only teams that were here before us were Kurenai's, Asuma's, Guy's, and Kabuto's but Kabuto didn't arrive with them so that doesn't count. Observing between the three remaining teams, they all looked curious as to who broke the record as well.

Anko smiled a toothy grin, enjoying the fact that everyone was out of the loop but her. Like she had a secret only she knew.

"Team Baki of the Sand Village made it to the towers with both scrolls in thirty-six minutes," Anko eyed the team, not completely believing what she was saying. "They blew the previous record out of the park."

_That's Gaara's team._ Dozens of eyes, including my own, stared at the sand siblings. Gaara stood in front of the line while Temari, and then Kankuro behind. Gaara's arms were folded across his chest, untouched by all the stares he was receiving.

Kiba asked what everyone was thinking. "That's bull! We all saw them, they were the last team to get here!"

"Exactly," Neji concurred. "They arrived when the clock struck time was up."

Everyone was building up on the two, agreeing with them.

"There must be a mistake," Sakura concluded.

"It's no mistake," Anko promised. "They arrived here after thirty-six minutes. They requested to leave the tower when they got here."

"Request to leave?" Ino's mouth was practically to the floor. "Why would that do that? Are they even allowed to do that?"

Anko rubbed her face with annoyance. "Well, typically, it isn't allowed. But, as blondie argued," she gestured to Temari who was giving cocky glares. "There aren't any rules _against_ leaving the tower. The rule just states that you and your teammates must be at the tower with both scrolls before time is up. There aren't any rules against, leaving once here. As long as they made it back in time, no one had the authority to stop them."

Everyone was causing a commotion. No one, including myself, could believe what they were hearing. Teams struggle and even die— to pass just this part of the exam. We all had to trudge through rough terrain, fight face eating creatures, defeat enemies _and _then survive long enough to make it to the tower. And, yet, they were willing to venture back out there? What reason could be strong enough to do something that suicidal?

_Were they looking for Leda? _

"Alright, now pay attention," Anko drew everyone's attention back towards her. "Lord Hokage will speak now so you better listen carefully, Maggots." Satisfied with our cooperation. "They are all yours." She gestured to the Third.

Lord Hokage was about to speak when someone interrupted him. "Lord Hokage, if I may. I would like to say something before we begin," Iruka-Sensei requested.

The Third nodded. "Very well, then."

Iruka cleared his throat. "Again, I would like to congratulate everyone who has made it this far. These Chunin Exams are no easy feat and you should be proud with how far you have all come."

No one replied to the praising sensei as the room was filled with silence and coughs.

"Get on with it, Iruka," The Third demanded.

"Oh, right," Iruka responded, flustered. "I wanted to explain the meaning behind the two scrolls you had the mission to obtain."

"What about them, Iruka-sensei?" Sakura called.

"Yeah, what about them? They are just dumb scrolls that would paralyze you if you opened them," Naruto added.

"Naruto, these aren't just dumb scrolls," Iruka scolded. "And, yes, that is true. If you did open them in the forest, a paralysis jutsu would kick in and knock you out until the exam was over. But, that's not all." He wagged his finger.

Naruto gave a puzzling look.

Iruka rolled his eyes. "Look, you see that parchment hanging over there?" He pointed to the large sign underneath the statue hands. On it was writing that was made with the brush strokes of a paintbrush.

"Give it a good read." Iruka instructed and we did. Silently, twenty pairs of eyes read:

**If qualities of heaven are your desire,**

**acquire wisdom to take your mind higher.**

**If earthly qualities you lack,**

**train your body, prepare to attack.**

"They're instructions Lord Hokage recorded as principles that chunin should follow," Iruka explained.

"They're instructions?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, heaven stands for your mind and earth for your body. Get it?"

"Nah," Naruto stared dumbly at the scribbles.

"Alright, I'll explain," Iruka patiently said. "If your weakness lies in your intellect, Naruto, then you have to make doubly sure that you work hard to learn all the information and skills you need to prepare for your missions."

Sakura giggled at Iruka's scolding, covering her mouth with her hand.

"And you," Iruka gestured. "If your weakness lies in your physical strength, then you have to make sure you work on your physical conditioning every single day so it improves all the time."

Sakura's face turned pink with embarrassment and quickly nodded her head.

"When heaven and earth are open together, their perilous path will become righteous forever, meaning your mind and body will be working together as one. These five days of survival were to test your abilities as chunin and you guys did magnificently. I want you to memorize these instructions on your next one."

Iruka glanced at the young shinobi with hesitation. Something else was on his mind. "Also… be care on the third exam. You-"

"You don't need to worry, Iruka," Naruto exclaimed. "See this headband?" His thumb pointed to the leaf sigma on his forehead. "This means I am a full-fledged ninja. We all made it this far and we're not going to back down so easily."

Iruka stared with awestruck, speechless.

"You don't need to worry, we got this."

Iruka smiled proudly at his formal student. "That you do, Naruto." He stepped aside so the Hokage was in full view. "They're all yours, Lord Hokage."

The leader nodded, acknowledging, and took a step forward. "As the Third Hokage, I want to explain something you need to understand about the test itself."

Everyone was in silence waiting for him to continue. No one dared to speak their mind or theories, he was the Hokage after all.

"In the past, all our currently allied countries used to continuously fight with each other for power. In order to avoid meaningless destruction, nations picked champions to do battle on behalf of their country at a mutually selected location. That was how the chunin selection exam originally began."

"That's great, but why do we have to go through the exam. I mean, it's not like we're picking chunin to go fight," Shikamaru asked.

"That's not the whole story," the Third explained. "Nowadays, many leaders and people of prominence from various countries are invited to watch your battles and take note of the strengths that each ninja and nation are developing. The strong nations are inundated with job requests while the countries that are deemed weak, decline. Therefore, the stronger our nation is, the better our position is when negotiating with neighboring countries. It is important to show how much military strength we have."

"Okay, even so, why is it necessary for us to risk our lives, then?" Kiba barked. Iruka was sour by this point.

The Hokage took a puff from his pipe. Thin wisps of smoke left his lips. "The country's strength is the village's strength and the village's strength is the shinobis' strength. And the true strength of the shinobi is only achieved when it's pushed to its limits such as in a life-and-death battle. This exam is a chance for each nation to display the strength of its shinobi, hence the strength of the nation itself.

"The third exam is the fight for life, the pride of your village and for your own dreams for which you continually strive for. These are all at stake. This exam determines the course of your ninja work from here on out."

The Hokage, as always was right. These exams were fights, yes, but they have been so much more for me. They were the battles towards becoming something, becoming someone. This has been a dream since coming to Konoha. To have a purpose.

"Any test is fine. Just tell me the details of what the exam are already. I can handle anything you throw at me," Gaara said, eagerly. He wasn't as touched or motivated by the Hokage as I was.

Hokage wasn't intimidated by Gaara's words. "Very well then. Now listen closely, the third proctor is going to tell you exactly what you'll be doing on the third exam."

An awkward, middle-aged man stepped to the front. He had short brown hair, dark eyes and even darker bags under his eyes. "Right, huh. I'm Hayate Gekko, the proctor for the third exam." Then he was silent, unsure of himself as he stared at 20 pairs of curious eyes. "Before we begin, I notice that Team Gachero is missing a teammate. Is this correct?"

I knew this was coming, but I couldn't help wincing. "That is correct." I tried to act confident. It wasn't working.

Hayate nodded with understanding. "Alright then. Since this team is lacking a third teammate, I am afraid to announce Team Gachero is dis-."

"Wait!" Mae rose her hand.

Hayate looked confusingly at Mae. "Yes, what is it?"

Mae cleared her throat. "According to the rules, they state that all three teammates must be _physically_ here with both scrolls before the slotted time was up."

"Yes, what's your point?" Hayate wasn't catching on, and honestly, neither was I.

"Our teammate _is_ physically here. Team Baki from Sunakagure brought her body to us before time was up. The medical team can vouch it," Mae pointed out.

"Don't be ridiculous," Anko snapped. "They have to be alive in order to compete."

"Anko…" The Third warned.

Mae wasn't backing down. "Nothing in the rules does it state that all the teammates had to be alive, just that we are all physically here and we _are_."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Mae's using that genius mind again to keep us in the exam, searching for a loop hole. _How long did she have this planned? Why didn't she tell me?_

"She does have a point, Lord Hokage," Kakashi added, raising his brow with curiosity.

The Hokage was in a rough position as he rubbed his chin in ponder. "That is true…"

Anko was still holding her ground. "Lord Hokage, the rules say that all three have to be present— present to be fighting. Who would we be if we let them stay? The best of the best need to be here and these two simply aren't."

"But they are the best of the best," Iruka interrupted. I couldn't hold back my shock. The sensei who always feared we weren't ready was defending us. "They were the two survivors of a team of three. The _best_ of three."

Suddenly others were standing up for us. Gachero-Sensei, Kiba, Kabuto and Team 7 all were saying how we should be here, even if that means we would be competing against them. They believed that Mae and I deserved to be here. That we were worth paying attention to.

"Come on, Old Man. Let Quorra and Mae fight!" Naruto yelled.

"Just let them fight," Kankuro said with annoyance.

"Yeah, they are here anyway. Might as well have them prove themselves," Temari added.

Even the sand siblings wanted us here. But, why? I searched Gaara for answers, but should have known better than to expect anything. He was stone.

With the overwhelming amount of argument, he had made his decision. "Very well, then. Allow Team Gachero to continue the exam," the Third finalized.

"But, Lord Hokage!" Anko spoke high-pitched, no longer keeping her cool.

"That's enough, Anko. My decision is final," Lord Hokage dismissed.

Naruto jumped with joy. Mae was excited as well and I wished I was, but worried filled me instead. Why was Mae so adamant about staying? After all this, after what happened to us, happened to Leda? I feared she was doing this to be near Kiba, just like when she helped him cheat so he could stay. But, I had to believe this was all faith, that this was Leda's doing. I smirked to myself. _Leda always made her presence known, even after death._

After the heated Anko settled down, Hayate continued with protocol. "Before we begin, there's something we must do. Huh, we have to have a preliminary exam."

"A what!?" Naruto and Kiba yelled simultaneously.

"Preliminary exam? What do you mean by that?" Temari asked, angered that the proctor could even mention such a thing. "Why can't we move onto the third exam?"

Hayate shifted uncomfortably. "Huh, well you see, the first two exams might have been too easy. According to the rules, huh, a preliminary round can be held at any stage in order to reduce the number of candidates remaining. Even if Team Gachero was disqualified, we have to speed things up a bit."

"But is that really fair?" Sakura asked, devastated that this was another obstacle they would have to trudge through.

"As Lord Hokage said, a lot of guests will be watching. We can't afford to waste their time. They've come to see only the best. The preliminaries will start immediately."

"Are you kidding me? Right now?" Kiba screamed. Mae looked at him with worry, hating to see him so upset.

"We just finished barely surviving the last exam. Don't we get a break?" Ino whined with exhaustion.

"Man, what a drag." Shikamaru sighed.

"When do we eat?" Choji held his stomach to contain the tide of rumbles that were trying to bust at the seams.

"Shut up with your food obsession, Tubs," Kankuro yelled.

"What did you call me? I should eat your face for that!" Choji went from 1 to 100 in 0.2 seconds. Shikamaru had to hold him back from pummeling Kankuro. Kankuro sneered, making Choji all the more maddened.

"The winners will be determined by one-on-one combat sudden death," but the proctor's voice was lost in the chaos. I couldn't blame everyone's angst. It was one thing if we had time to prepare. To heal physically and emotionally from the wounds the Forest of Death had inflicted. But to start fighting right away— and to the death, it's mad.

Sasuke was determined to get the battle to the death started, but the waves of pain have been coming sooner and sooner as he gripped his shoulder tightly once again.

Sakura winced at Sasuke's pain. "Sasuke, listen to me, you've been like this ever since you tangled with Orochimaru and it's getting worse. You can't deny it. Please, Sasuke, quit now before—"

"Shut up, Sakura," Sasuke said.

"You think I'm blind or something?! Come on, you know as well as I do you are in no condition to keep on fighting."

They were so invested in their heated argument, they failed to hear Kakashi and Anko were battling as well.

"What do we do with him?" Ibiki, proctor from the first exam, asked.

"We take him out of the exams, hand him to Black Ops, and keep him locked up. We have to keep that seal under control," Anko demanded.

"And he's just going to quietly go along with all of this? You really think so? You're forgetting, he's of the Uchiha clan," Kakashi subtlety pointed out.

"I don't care what the hell he is! If he stays, he's a danger to everyone!" Anko exploded, not taking Kakashi's observation to heart. "Don't you see? As he gets stronger, so does the curse mark. That thing is feeding off his chakra. It's a forbidden jutsu that devours the one who bears it."

Anko sounded very familiar and vocal with whatever was happening to Sasuke. She didn't even see the mark, but she seems to know everything about it. As if her mind drew from the pages of an encyclopedia. But the passion behind her voice, it was different from when she yelled at us, calling us maggots or when she wanted Mae and I disqualified. This voice had meaning.

She glanced sadly at the Uchiha. "It's incredible the kid is still standing. By now, he should be dead."

_Were they hiding something? Keeping something from us as we watched Sasuke suffer? _

"You don't think I don't see the suffering you're going though?" Sakura was on the verge of hysteria. "They aren't going to allow you to fight."

"That's enough, Sakura." Sasuke snapped.

"Man, you don't know when to quit. What are you biting her head off for, you idiot," Naruto yelled.

"You don't get it," Sasuke hissed. "I'm an avenger. These exams and becoming chunin mean nothing to me. I'm only here to find out if I am as strong as I can be. And the only way to find that out is to fight the strongest, the best. And the best of the best are all here."

"It's just that she cares about you-"

"Naruto, you are one of those I want to fight the most."

Naruto was the most shocked I have ever seen him. He tried with all his might not to smile as the corner of his mouth twitched. It was no secret Sasuke and Naruto were the definition of frenemies. They respected each other as teammates, but they really wanted to have a brawl. To prove which was stronger than the other.

"Let him do it," I said, bluntly. I knew Sasuke and he rather be dead than to give up a chance to fight. Sakura appeared like a fish out of water. Sasuke and Naruto were curious, but my declaration, too. "They seem to be allowing him to fight."

The three didn't understand where I was coming from. That's when we all heard it.

"You got to be shitting me!" Anko practically screamed. Our attention was drawn to her.

Lord Hokage rubbed his goatee, stressfully. "We'll keep an eye on him. At the first sign of the curse mark growing or his power getting out of control, you will step in and stop him," he gestured to first exam proctor, Ibiki.

"Understood."

"But…" Anko objected, but knew her efforts would be futile. "As you wish."

"Alright then," the third proctor began. "We will begin the preliminary round. This round will consist of one-on-one individual combat. There are 20 of you meaning 10 matches will be held. The surviving candidates will advance to the third exam. As for the rules, there are none. You will fight until one dies or concedes defeat or has rendered physically incapable of continuing. Furthermore, as proctor, I might intervene if a match seems hopeless to save as many lives as possible."

_Hopeless. _The word rung through the air, becoming the haunting ghost on our shoulder, the devil whispering in our ear, the screams that filled our heads.

"Now it's time to reveal what fate has been chosen for you. Open the panel," the proctor announced.

On the back wall, one of the panels retracted to reveal a screen.

"The names are chosen completely by random. Now, huh, let's begin."

The tension was so high, it could be rung out and made into soup. Hinata and Mae stared at the screen, mesmerized by the flashing of names. Naruto was shaking his fist, too excited for words. Akamaru was cowering under Kiba's hoodie, while his owner wore his signature cocky grin. Gaara and his sibling were expressionless. To them, these exams were too easy and they were more than prepared for some excitement. Possibly blood.

For me, feeling overwhelmed was the nice way of putting it. So much was at stake. Even with the Hokage granting us the right to stay and continue competing, was my heart fully in this? Was my heart even capable of this? I've been through so much and the others have as well. I felt like I could drop dead at this very moment. Who would I be competing against? Some people I felt like I had a chance, while others—my thoughts immediately flashed to Gaara. If I went up against him, I might as well be dead.

My self-doubt wandered towards thoughts of Leda. She was unsure of herself when we began that crazy journey and I was the one that pushed her and convinced her we could do it. Who would I be if I didn't follow my own advice, listen to my own words, my motivation. Remind myself why I was here in the first place. To become chunin, to help save lives and make a difference in this world. To make a life and family for myself. The thoughts of Leda stung but I couldn't help but smile. This preliminary exam, this future, wherever it leads me, I had another reason to keep on fighting.

For Leda. The Warrior.

* * *

**Quorra and Mae are still in the running to be chunin! Man, that's some quick thinking. And why do you think Gaara brought them Leda?**

**I'm not going to be including all the battles in this story. I will spear both your eyes and my finger from writing it. But, what battles do you wish to read? Should they be different? Who do you want Quorra to fight?!**

**Until next time!**

**xo**


	35. Chapter 35

UGH! Finally had my first day off in weeks to write a chapter.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **People get hurt, obvi.

Thank you, as always, xxOchibixx, time-twilight, Sophiebybophie, Lavendor Queen and Jemmy for your reviews.

To address some of you:

xxOchibixx: I wouldn't mind setting up a poll for Quorra's pairing if other people are interested. But, to be fair, I don't think Quorra has interacted with enough characters yet for people to have a set OTP.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter thirty-five: The Worst Has Yet To Come**

Just like that, the screen displayed our first battle:

**Sasuke Uchiha vs. Kabuto Yakushi**

Sakura threw her hands over her mouth, trying to stifle a gasp.

Sasuke smirked. "Didn't waste any time, did they?"

Kabuto glared at Sasuke and silently adjusted his glasses.

"Alright, those whose names have been drawn come forward. Everyone other than the two opposing candidates will clear to the upper level," Hayate ordered.

"You better win, Sasuke, if you ever hope to take me on!" Naruto declared, shaking his fist. Sasuke nodded in return.

Teams and sensei were filing away when Kakashi approached Sasuke. His hands were casually in his pockets as he spoke quietly to him. I couldn't hear what they were discussing. My best guess, he was warning Sasuke not to go overboard or else the curse mark will take over.

"Wow that's it, all I can do now is watch," Sakura sounded helpless. I wrapped my arm around the wounded girl as we made our way to the upper level.

* * *

The upper level was deck-like, semi-narrow platform following the circular perimeter of the arena with one end having stairs that connected the two levels. I stood with Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura. Team Guy and Team Kurenai stood nearby, while Mae leaned on the railing next to Kiba. Team Asuma was a little bit away while Kabuto's team and Team Baki isolated themselves on the other side of the arena. On the lower level, Sasuke and Kabuto stood at a face off. Neither wished the other luck.

"Huh, alright then," Hayate spoke. "Let's begin the first match."

On cue, Kabuto threw a shuriken. Sasuke dodged, but the pain from the curse mark already threw him off balance and toppled to the ground. Sasuke sat up, tightly gripping his shoulder, growling at Kabuto.

"I can't watch this," Sakura turned away covering her face so no one could see her freight.

I grabbed her free arm, gently turning her back towards the fight. "He would want you to watch."

She gulped understandably, wiping an escaped tear.

Kabuto charged at the fallen Uchiha with a hand glowing blue. He thrust his hand, but Sasuke tripped Kabuto, pinning him down.

"Hey, he got him!" Naruto declared, unnecessarily loud.

Kabuto struggled under Sasuke's firm grasp until he placed his glowing hand on Sasuke's chest. Just from a single tap, Sasuke fell and Kabuto took control.

"Get… get off me," Sasuke's words became slurry, drunk as his reaching hand fell to his side.

"What's happening to him?" Sakura asked in distressed.

"He seems to be zapping Sasuke's energy," Kakashi realized.

"Zapping his energy?" Sakura stared back to Sasuke, who laid still.

The blue light didn't stop Sasuke as he struggled to lift his foot and kicked Kabuto away, disconnecting the channel.

Kabuto quickly shook off the attack. "You still have strength left. Impressive." His hand glowed once again and Sasuke dodged left and right to avoid being further zapped of energy.

"He needs to think of something, fast," I observed, worried as much as Sakura was, who gripped the railing with angst.

Naruto wasn't having it. "Ah, come on, Sasuke. What was that? And you call yourself an Uchiha? You're gonna let him walk all over you? Stop messing around and get into gear!"

Kabuto was so distracted by Naruto's bantering that he failed to see Sasuke sneaking up from behind.

"I wouldn't turn your back on your opponent," Sasuke warned. Kabuto whizzed around to throw a punch, but Sasuke was already gone.

The Uchiha reappeared under Kabuto and kicked the Leaf Shinobi into the air. Kabuto was soaring in the air, his stomach facing towards the ceiling while his back was left exposed for Sasuke to approach. Sasuke hovered below him, like a shadow.

_Wait a minute._

"I've seen that move before," Sakura exclaimed.

She was right. "That's Dancing Leaf Shadow," I realized. Lee performed that jutsu on Sasuke when they brawled on the way to the written exams. Lee wanted to fight Sasuke to see if the Uchihas were all what they were hyped up to be, to see the power of the Sharingan first-hand.

"What's Sasuke doing with Bushy Brow's jutsu?" Naruto yelled.

"It's the power of the Sharingan," Kakashi concluded, and we all nodded in agreeance. It was scary the Sharingan had that kind of power. That _I_ had this power now, hidden inside, making it even scarier.

"He's able to copy my jutsu from only witnessing it once?" Lee spoke with awe. A tinge of jealousy touched his voice. "So that's his special ability. Incredible."

"Okay, I admit. I kinda borrowed that move, but from here on out. It's all original," Sasuke smirked and was about to continue with the jutsu when curse mark started up again. He cried with pain. Suddenly, his curse mark morphed. It manifested from a three comma, triangular shape, to a mass spread. Harsh tribal squiggles spread from his shoulder to the base of his neck.

"What's happening?" Sakura panicked.

Kakashi looked grim. "It's just as I feared. It's growing, trying to take over Sasuke's body."

"Taking over?" Sakura looked mortified.

"When he uses chakra, the reaction is stronger," Mae calculated. I didn't think about it like that, but she was right. That curse mark depends on his chakra, trying to mold and blend into one entity.

Even through the excruciating pain, Sasuke defiantly gained control of the curse mark as it receded back to its original form. Still hovering under Kabuto, he twisted his body so that his leg fell upon his opponent, causing kabuto to fall.

"I'm not done yet," Sasuke growled and twisted his body on last time, using momentum to gain strength of his final kick that sailed his opponent into the ground. "Lion's Barrage!"

The move was incredible. Sasuke combined Lee's signature move and morphed it into his own, calling it his Lion's Barrage. However, what it left now was two wiped out fighters.

Sprawled on the arena floor, Kabuto slowly rose while Sasuke failed to. His teeth clenched as he tried to push himself upright, but that last move, in addition to the curse mark, took a heavy toll on him.

Kabuto approached Sasuke, his fingers glowed a fiery blue once again. Sasuke stared up, his mind ready to continue the fight, but his body wasn't so forthcoming. Sakura stared like a fish out of water, petrified this was the last thing she would see from her not-so-secret crush. I couldn't blame her worry, I was too.

Hovering over Sasuke, a smile of victory crossed over Kabuto lips, but the expression was minute, disappearing in nanoseconds. "I, Kabuto Yakushi, forfeit from the preliminary rounds."

Grasps shook the room. Sakura's was by far the loudest. "He forfeits?" The words sounded preposterous to her as they escaped her lips.

Hayate approached the combatants, confused by the declaration as well. "Huh, with an act of a forfeit, Sasuke Uchiha is declared winner of this round and will be proceeding to the finals."

Sasuke should have been annoyed that the fight ended so soon. But instead, he smiled with exhaustion and tried to sit up. With a huff, he would have fell, if it wasn't for Kakashi.

"Not bad," Kakashi said, propping his bend knee on the Uchiha's back to stabilize him while simultaneously reading his book. Sasuke smirked in reply.

"Sasuke, thank goodness," Sakura spoke shakily. Her fingers wrapped with each other's to cope with the relieving news.

Lee stared with amazement. Guy, on the other hand, wasn't as impressed. He stared at the Uchiha as if Sasuke took the easy approach to fighting. Like it required blood and sweat to get to where you were today, not a trick up your sleeve that was passed down for generations. But, he was wrong. Even if Sasuke didn't work as backbreaking hard as Lee did on the technique, if Sasuke didn't obtain the Sharingan and copy Lee's move, this could have ended differently. That takes its own hard work.

Anko had a different look, a look of disbelief. That even when the curse mark flared up into a bizarre pattern on his neck and shoulders, he was still able to control it.

"Wow, eh. That was amazing," Hinata spoke.

"Bleh. Wasn't anything that special," Kiba snorted.

"Way to go, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled. "You won, but in such an uncool way. You look like the one who got beat up!"

Sasuke gave Naruto an exhausted, dirty look. "Give me a break, you little… oh, well." He gave up Naruto's torment and instead gave a shaky smile.

I was beyond elated for Sasuke. Jovial that nothing worse happened to him. We needed some good news for once. But, I couldn't help the nagging feeling inside my chest. Kabuto was easily dominating the fight. He would have won easily. _What made him quit?_

Kabuto walked, without a word, away from the fight. Hayate gave him a quizzical face.

"I'm exhausted. I've been fighting for five days straight. There was no way I was going to win without it getting messy," Kabuto explained to Hayate's wordless question. "I rather live until tomorrow."

Hayate nodded, acknowledging, and with one last look at the Uchiha, Kabuto disappeared.

The medical team approached Sasuke, fully prepared to take him away.

"I think you're out of your league with this one. I'll take him," Kakashi stopped them in their tracks. The medical team was taken aback, baffled, but didn't object.

Kakashi bend down and whispered into Sasuke's ear. Whatever he said, it didn't go over well with Sasuke.

"Before the preliminaries are over? But, I wanna see who gets to be in the finals," Sasuke whined.

"Forget it," Kakashi shut him down, like a parent not allowing their child to go to the party. "If we leave it any longer, it might be too late. I already cut you enough slack as it is."

When Kakashi used this tone, one could argue all they wanted, but it was final. Sasuke knew this and agreed with a helpless sigh. With a helping hand on his shoulder, Sasuke and Kakashi left the arena.

* * *

"Huh, okay then. Let's move onto the second match," Hayate announced. The first match got everyone riled up. The feelings varied from anxious, to excited.

"Man, I can't wait for my turn," Naruto exclaimed, barely holding back his excitement.

"Wish I could say the same," Sakura sighed.

"You better hope you don't get stuck fighting me, Naruto, or else you're destined to lose," Kiba antagonized.

Naruto bought into the coax. "Oh, yeah?! I like to see what you got, Dog Boy!"

"Dog Boy?!" Kiba's face reddened and twisted with anger. "You're going to regret calling me that, Loser!"

They broke out into a verbal fight that left my eyes rolling. I couldn't bring myself to stop their pettiness. The ball of tension in my chest was too great. What if I was next to fight? Not knowing who I was destined to fight was making me sick.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Hinata shuffling her feet towards the boisterous Naruto. "Uhm, Nar-Naruto?"

Her words were easily washed out by Naruto's fury. "Oh, and your breath smells worse than your dog's. Do you eat out of a dumpster?" He told Kiba, pointedly.

"Naru-" Hinata spoke.

"A dumpster!?" Kiba's was beyond angry. "You eat so much ramen, you shit noodles!"

"Naruto," Hinata softly cried out.

"Oh, yeah!? Well, you- you," Naruto stopped himself when he realized Hinata's awkwardness.

Now she finally got the Knucklehead's attention, she was speechless. "I… I" but the words couldn't escape her flustered lips. Instead, she rose her hands and buried her face with shame. In her hands was a small potted container.

"Huh." Naruto looked at the thing questioningly and cocked his head with confusion.

"She's giving you a gift. Take it, Naruto," Hinata and Kiba's Sensei, Kurenai, gestured.

"What is it?" Naruto grabbed it from Hinata's palm. She retracted her arms, instinctively, hugging her body tightly.

"It's ointment, for cuts," Kurenai-Sensei explained.

"Ointment?" Naruto examined the container.

"It's for you… _and_ Sasuke and everyone else on your team, too!" Her long-sleeved hands covered her embarrassed face.

"Oh, well thanks, Hinata." He rubbed his head with a goofy grin. "I-" he was about to add something, but Hinata's face stopped his words in his tracks.

She had a look of fear like someone was standing behind us with a knife. We all turned around to see what she was so scared about and that's when we saw it:

**Neji Hyuuga vs. Hinata Hyuuga**

"No," Kiba spoke, infuriated. "Hinata, you can't. You have to forfeit the match." Hinata fiddled with her hands in anticipation.

Naruto was taken aback by Kiba's urgency. "Forfeit the match? Who do you think you are, telling her what to do?"

"I'm _saving_ my teammate," Kiba growled. Mae grabbed his arm, afraid he might lash out.

"By telling her to forfeit? What kind of teammate does that? Go ahead, Hinata. Show everyone what you're made of." Naruto gave a thumbs up to the Hyuuga. She shook with freight.

"Are you crazy?! Do you want her to get killed? Don't you know Neji? He's merciless. He doesn't care if Hinata is his cousin." Mae's grip grew stronger as Kiba charged forward. His claws begging to dig into Naruto's skin.

"Kiba, please," Mae cried, but it turned into a big brawl. Everyone started arguing. Some were defending Naruto while others were doing the same for Kiba. Everyone was so engulfed in the argument, no one seemed to notice Hinata slipping silently away.

Except me.

It was no question Hinata was scared, petrified really. She could barely stand on her own two feet. It made the turmoil in my stomach intensify. It made the realization that I, too, would soon be in her position that much worse. In my heartbroken mind, I shuffled through words I wish someone will speak to me before my fight.

"Do what feels right," I spoke, barely at a whisper, but that was all that was needed.

She was alerted by my comment, but quickly understood. Her tensed body relaxed some and with a slow, still unsure nod of the head, she walked down the stairs towards her fight.

Kiba noticed her leaving. "Hinata, wait!"

"Let her go," I told him.

Kiba gave me a vicious look, like he wanted to tear my head off, but I stood my ground. "Damn it." He punched the wall behind him. It was then I realized Kiba would never forgive me if anything happened to Hinata.

* * *

By the time Hinata reached the center of the arena, Neji and Hayate were there to greet her. She stood directly in front of Neji, in a standoff position.

"I never thought I would have to face you," Neji said.

"Nor, I, cousin." Hinata agreed.

"A word of advice, Hinata," Neji began. "Withdraw now. You know you were never meant to be a ninja. You're too kind and gentle. You seek harmony and avoid conflict. You allow yourself to be easily swayed by others. Admit it, you have no confidence and feel inferior to everyone else here. You took the Chunin exams because Shino and Kiba needed a third member and you couldn't bear to let your teammates down."

"No, you're wrong," Hinata interrupted. "I wanted… I had to find out… I did it to see if I can change." Her voice sounded minuscule, lost.

"People can't change no matter how hard they try. They can't run away from their true nature. A failure will always be a failure. I understand these things because I see the world clearly with my Byakugan." Neji activated his bloodline trait.

"Byakugan? That's the kenken genkai of the Hyuuga clan right?" Sakura asked.

"That's right. It's a visual jutsu like Sasuke's Sharingan. In fact, they say the Uchiha's Sharingan was derived from the Byakugan. But for its sheer power of insight, it is the stronger of the two." Kakashi explained, popping back into existence.

"Kakashi!" Sakura shrieked.

"Hi," he waved.

"What do you mean, hi? What about Sasuke?" Sakura scolded. The fight Hinata was about to endure had everyone rattled, but Sasuke's condition was Sakura's main concern.

"Oh, he's fine." He waved off to his pupil. "Sleeping soundly in the infirmary."

Sakura sighed with relief. A heavy weight was lifted off her chest. Already she looked lighter. Kakashi smiled at his student, but there was a look that made me unsettled. A mystery effect behind his steel colored eyes. Whatever was on his mind, I noted to myself to bug him about it later.

"If you don't forfeit the match, you know what will happen." Neji gave his final warning.

"I won't run away." Hinata performed hand signs, activating her own Byakugan. Determination filled her pupil-less, lavender eyes as she positioned herself to fight. "Defend yourself."

"If you are ready, you can begin the battle," Hayate announced.

"Very well then," Neji responded, following suit.

They fell into a hand-to-hand combat. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. Their hands were held flat and glowed a fire blue as they tried to hurt one another through jabbing movements.

I was so used to seeing weapons in hands, and rough, brutal movements. But, this was completely different. Everything they did was methodical, fluent, like the rush of a waterfall. It was both powerful, yet simple. It was a beautiful dance only those two shared—

A dance that will end up with someone dead.

Hinata managed to plunge her fingertips towards Neji's arm. Neji jumped back on instinct.

"Did she get him?" Naruto asked.

"No way. She barely grazed him," Sakura replied, not too sure of herself.

"Even so," Kakashi explained. "A glancing blow is enough. That's what makes the Hyuuga clan the most formidable fighters."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Their taijutsu is a unique one," Guy-Sensei informed. "They attack internal organs with their chakra networks, leaving devastating results." I gave Guy-sensei an unsure look, still not fully comprehending it.

"You can't build up your internal organs no matter how hard you train. Even the toughest ninja are vulnerable," Kakashi added.

"They attack the chakra network. These people are amazing," Mae said, watching the match with her calculating eyes.

"You can say that again," Naruto nodded, crossing his arms. "But, what is the chakra network?"

Sakura gave Naruto a look like she was questioning if he knew how to wipe his own ass. "Don't you know anything?!" and she proceeded to punish Naruto's incompetence with a bash to the head. Naruto cried out in pain.

Kakashi sighed. "It's the complex system of circulatory canals that distributes chakra throughout the body. Similar to a person's vascular system."

"I get it! Except these veins carry chakra not blood." Naruto pointed, as if he just solved the mysteries behind the Bermuda Triangle.

"The chakra network is so closely intertwined with your internal organs, they are virtually one in the same. Therefore, when the network is attacked, these organs suffer the most," Lee added to Kakashi's words.

"Wow, Lee. How'd you get to be so smart?" Naruto asked.

"How you get to be such an idiot?" Sakura yelled, welcoming him with another hit. As Naruto held his head, Sakura continued without second thought. "But Kakashi-sensei, how do they know where to strike their opponent? I mean, chakra is invisible to the naked eye."

"You are forgetting there is little their Byakugan can't see. What's more, when they strike a blow, a small but intense burst of their own chakra is released from their hand and drills into their opponent's body, directly attacking their chakra network."

Naruto and Sakura nodded, understanding this new knowledge about another bloodline trait other than Sasuke's. Meanwhile, Kiba couldn't care less. He was wordless as he was too engulfed in witnessing the fight. He gripped the railing with enough force to turn his knuckles white. Akamaru was mesmerized as well with his hair standing on end with anticipation.

As the fight persisted, they attacked and defended accordingly. Neji made jabbing movements while Hinata avoided them and countered movements of her own. They were evenly matched, for now. Well, it was until Hinata found an opening and made a blow to Neji's arm. Neji quickly anticipated the attack and rose his palm towards her chest. It didn't make direct contact, but it was enough to cause her to cough up blood.

"So that's it, huh?" Neji smirked at his cousin.

"What's going on? I saw Hinata hit Neji perfectly," Naruto asked aloud.

Hinata wasn't through yet as she pushed Neji's arm away from her chest and goes to strike, but Neji thrusted two fingers into her arm. Her arm was frozen in place. Neji triumphantly pushed Hinata's sleeve up, revealing an array of red dots. They resembled chicken pox, but bigger.

"You mean… this whole time… you could see." Hinata was too shocked to say the words.

"That's right. I could see your chakra points."

"What's he talking about?" Naruto demanded.

"On the chakra network, there are 316 energy centers or chakra points and each are only about the size of a head of a pin. Hitting one directly can effect chakra flow either by holding it or increasing it depending how the attacker strikes. Theoretically, this allows them to gain complete control over their opponent's chakra flow," Kakashi explained staring at the fight with amazement.

"But these points, they aren't even detectable to my Sharingan eye, yet he can target them directly even during intense battles."

I knew right then why he looked so surprised as I was wondering the same thing. Seeing and pinpointing chakra points with such accuracy during a heated battled was something only very skilled shinobi could do. _How could a genin be this powerful?_

As Hinata continued coughing, Neji pushed her, sending her skidding to the floor. She laid on her abdomen, motionless. "Look Hinata, I'm completely out of your ledge. This is what separates the elite from the failures. You may not like it, but it's a fact. You were destined for failure and now you are consumed with hopelessness. This is your last warning, Hinata. Forfeit this match."

Hinata slowly pushed her small body to her knees. "I never…. never go…. back on my word." The words sounded harsh on her lips as she strained to stand. Blood continued to drip onto the floor.

"I had no idea Hinata was this tough," Naruto spoke with awe.

"She's a lot like you," Lee commented.

"You know come to think of it, she's always watching you," Sakura added.

Once standing again, she reactivated her Byakugan, prepared for the next round. No further words needed to be exchanged as Neji fought again. I understood Hinata was brave and I admired her for it, but the truth of the matter was, one more deadly blow like before and she was done.

"Go, Hinata! You can do it!" Naruto cheered.

Hinata attacked, but she was losing her wits and wasn't thinking strategically. It took no effort at all for Neji to jab her in the jaw and fell again, resulting her to cough even harder.

"What do you think you're doing? You're going to die," Neji spoke matter-of-factly.

"It doesn't matter. I'm not letting myself look bad. Not now." She wiped her mouth, staining her tan sleeves red.

Naruto smiled at Hinata's determination, but clenched her gift in his hands.

"I'm far from finished," Hinata spoke with such bravery and self-worthy passion that it hit me. Neji was like a real-life version of my inner demons. They always told me I was a failure, bantered and cackled how I would never be good enough. From the beginning, I thought I wasn't suited to be a shinobi or to be in the Chunin exams. I proved my demons wrong, even as doubt whispered in my ears at night, tormenting me. But, Hinata, she just proved to me that even when it seemed impossible, that wasn't always the case.

Neji, on the other hand, didn't find it as awe inspiring. "Give up the tough guy act. I can tell you're barely standing. People can't change the way they are. That's just how it is, so accept defeat and you won't have to suffer any more."

"You got it backwards," Hinata smiled sadly. Neji was shocked by the accusation. "You see, I can tell you're the one who is suffering much more than I."

"I'm what?" Anger laced Neji's voice.

"You're the one who's torn up about your own fate. I see how you look at him."

"Why you," Neji was so immersed in rage, he couldn't even finish his sentence. There was a change in his eyes, something awakened in him. He looked wild, inhumane, nothing like the composed Neji we all knew.

Neji was determined to kill and Hinata couldn't do anything about it as he laid his final blow. Blood poured from her mouth as his well-positioned hand hit her heart.

"Hinata!" Kiba jumped over the railing.

"Kiba, wait!" Mae called, but that didn't stop Kiba from sliding into the arena, even when the match hadn't officially ended.

Kiba hovered over her teammate as Hayate trotted over. "Since she is no longer able to continue this match—"

"No! Don't stop this match!" Naruto bellowed.

"Naruto, what are you doing? Can't you see Hinata is unconscious?" Sakura asked Naruto.

There was no question Hinata has had it, but it brought everyone to a gasp when the hurt Hinata coughed. She rose her hand to the sky, trying to use the zero energy she had left to continue the fight. Kiba stared with pain in his eyes.

This made Neji even more furious as he charged at his cousin, again. Kiba whipped around, growling with claws out. Akamaru barked like mad. Luckily, Kiba didn't have to do anything because the jonin stopped Neji. Hayate stood in front of the Hyuuga while Kakashi held his arm. Guy-sensei had Neji in a headlock and Kurenai-Sensei had a tight grip around his leg.

"Neji, get a hold of yourself," Guy-sensei urged.

"Why are you and the other jonin butting in?" Neji dared to argue. Hinata's cough got worse as her shaky hand slumped to the ground with a thud.

"Hinata!" Kurenai-sensei and Kiba yelled, and she ran to her student.

Naruto, Sakura, Lee, Mae and I hopped over the railing and ran to Hinata.

"Hinata, you okay?" Naruto asked. Hinata was unresponsive as her head lolled. "Hey!"

"Naruto…" Hinata whispered. "I just…" but her words were diluted into her state of unconsciousness.

"Hey, Loser," Neji called towards Naruto. "I have two pieces of advice for you. First of all, if you call yourself a shinobi, stop that stupid cheering of yours. It's disgraceful and second, once a failure is always a failure. You can't change that."

"We'll just see about that!" Naruto ran towards Neji until Lee stopped him. "What are you doing?"

"Naruto, I get where you are coming from, believe me, but the rules say all fighting must be officially done in a match. A loser beating a match through sheer will power, now wouldn't that be an exciting match? Even if I will have to be the one who fights Neji."

Naruto growled and walked away. "Alright fine, Lee. You win."

Lee gave his sensei the thumbs up and Guy gave one in return; teeth gleaming.

"I'm not as forgiving as Naruto," Kiba roared and went after Neji.

I ran to stop him. "Stop it, you heard Lee. You will be disqualified." I grabbed his arm.

"I don't care! Get off me!" Kiba screamed and shook me off, causing me to fall.

I quickly sprang to my feet and dashed after him. If there was one advance I had over people, I was much faster. As much as I despised Neji and wished he got a world's hurt of beatings, I knew I couldn't hold Kiba back so I stood in front of Neji with arms held out.

Seeing me in the cross roads slowed Kiba some, but his momentum was too strong and his claws slashed into the side of my face. The force threw me to the ground and I gripped the claw marks in pain. Kiba hovered over me, with a face of anger and horror.

Kiba didn't know what to do next, but Hinata spitting up blood drew him back to reality. Finally accepting that fighting Neji had to happen later, he ran back to his partner without saying a word.

Kiba tried to comfort Hinata as Kurenai-sensei gave Neji a look that could kill an army.

"I wouldn't be wasting your time glaring at me when you really should be taking care of her," Neji spoke with uncaring meaning.

"Get a medic and fast!" Kurenai yelled.

A group of medics ran immediately over. One bend down to check Hinata's heartbeat. "This is serious. There's barely a pulse."

Before we could even comprehend it. The medics put Hinata on the stretcher and took her away. Mae went to comfort the red-faced Kiba and Sakura helped me to my feet.

"You're going to need to get that checked," Sakura said.

"I'm fine," I waved her off. Besides, there were more things to be concerned about. Watching what happened to Hinata made me fear what the future held for the rest of us.

Naruto watched Hinata get carted away. He hovered over her blood and bent down to swipe his fingers across the pool.

He turned towards Neji and held out his hand. "Hinata, I give you my word." Blood dripped from his fingertips. "I vow to win."

* * *

**I made the battles a little different. Hope they were still exciting to read.**

**Sasuke won with the forfeit of Kabuto and Hinata was carted away after Neji went hay-wall. What made Neji so angry?**

**There will be three more battles for the preliminaries, but which three?! Next chapter will be the announcement of Quorra's opponent! Now that some candidates fought already, who do you think Quorra will battle? **

**Until next time!**

**xo**

**Next chapter will be update sooner this time, I promise!**


	36. Chapter 36

It's my birthday ^.^ and I spent it writing half this chapter, WOOT.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **More people get hurt, shocker.

Thank you for the reviews Lavendor Queen, SakuMiChanNoGaara, and Serenity!

To address some of you:

SakuMiChanNoGaara: Wow, reading all 35 chapters in one day is insane! I love when new people find my story. I'm glad you enjoy my OCs. Quorra, Leda, and Mae are different branches of my personality (more on my profile).

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter thirty-six: Chevelle**

Those who painfully watched Hinata get taken away headed back to the upper floor. One of the medics brought some antiseptics and a bandage for the cuts on my face. Sakura offered to patch me up.

"They don't seem to be too deep, luckily." Sakura pressed a cotton pad dowsed with antibacterial onto my cheek. The stinging caused me to wince under the pressure of the bandage.

Through my peripherals, I saw Kiba watching me. The hurt in his eyes spoke of his guilt, how his hot-temper led to this. But, his eyes also showed signs of abhorrence. Anger stemming from the blame of my contributions towards Hinata's injuries. I was the final push for her to go up against Neji, ending her in the infirmary. The pain of Kiba's accidental wound hurt, but upsetting Kiba hurt more.

Even so, I couldn't lie to myself. "They might not be deep, but they still hurt like a bitch."

Sakura giggled at my exacerbation, placing the bandage.

"Maybe this isn't the right time to laugh," Kakashi spoke, leaning closely to his pupil.

Sakura and I didn't know what he was referring to until we looked at the screen:

**Ino Yamanaka vs Sakura Haruno**

Sakura gasped and quickly turned to her opponent. Ino was surprised as well, but as soon as their eyes locked, anger quickly took over. Ino headed down to the arena. Sakura was a bit more hesitant.

"You can do it," I encouraged and with a nervous nod, Sakura silently joined Ino.

"Go Sakura! You can do it! Don't lose!" Naruto cheered.

"Why out of all the people did it have to be Sakura," Shikamaru groaned.

"I'm hungry," Choji complained.

* * *

Sakura, Ino, and Hayate stood appropriately in the arena.

"I never thought I'd fight you or, at least, this soon," Ino spoke.

Sakura huffed. "Don't you think I'm going to go easy on you, Ino-pig."

Ino looked crossed and growled.

Hayate exchanged glances between the girls and knew this was going to be one giant cat fight. "Begin."

They immediately commenced a hand-to-hand battle. Ino punched while Sakura blocked. Sakura swept her leg, attempting to trip Ino, but she jumped out of the way. Sakura continued on the offense and threw a handful of kunai knives. Ino caught one in mid-air and threw it back.

"Sakura is totally blowing Ino out of the water in this battle," Naruto grinned.

"What a fool," Shikamaru mumbled.

Naruto heard the boy and was quick to react. "What did you say to me?"

Shikamaru wasn't intimated by Naruto's rashness. "You wanna make something out of it? Then go ahead, because you'll lose."

"Who do you think you are?!" Naruto shook his fists.

Naruto and Shikamaru broke out into a verbal fight. Well, it was more Shikamaru badgering and Naruto easily buying into it. Between those two and the tension in the air from Kiba and Mae, I needed to space. There was an internal itch that wasn't going to be scratched unless I did some thinking. Silently, I slithered away from the group and walked, sorely, around the perimeter of the arena.

My thoughts effortlessly wondered towards the people I cared about. Hoping that Sasuke was going to be alright, but in my gut-wrenching soul, I feared he's not. I thought of Leda and how much I missed her. My desire to hear her voice and listen to that crass, unsympathetic tone she possessed. The thoughts became an endless swirl of chaos and confusion, eating away at my mind.

I stumbled past Gaara and his siblings who were watching the battle with distaste.

"That's it? That's as good as kunoichi can get in hand-to-hand combat?" Temari spat, finding the battle pathetic.

"I rather watch paint dry while listening to Poka music," Kankuro added, agreeing with his sister. "And I hate Poka."

I focused my efforts on the battle:

"Alright, listen up, Ino. I'm not the weak, needy girl I used to be. You're not even on my radar and you're not even Sasuke's type," Sakura said.

"Sakura, you better watch your step. You have any idea who you're mouthing off to?" Ino threatened.

Gaara remained silent, not stating his opinion on the battle. His arms were firmly crossed as his heavily lined eyes scanned the kunoichi, reading into their movements rather than verbally insulting them.

Sakura readjusted her shinobi protector, bringing it forward to her forehead. "All my life, I thought that if I tried hard enough, I could become a beautiful flower instead of a bud always waiting, but never blooming. So as kids, I set my sights on you, Ino, because you set an example for me to strive towards. That's why I'm here today, but now I don't to be you. I want to surpass you."

I listened to Sakura's declaration while watching Gaara, unknowingly. It wasn't until Gaara turned his head towards me did I realize what I was doing.

Caught off guard, my mouth hung open, hoping words stringing in a form of an apology would escape my lips. But, nothing came. Gaara glanced at my fresh bandage, making me more uncomfortable and quickly trotted onwards.

It took no time at all for me to be consumed back into my deep thoughts. They circled around Mae. The hatred in her eyes when we argued in the Forest of Death. The words clung to my skin like tar. Dark syrup that was impossible to remove. Mae was watching the battle until our eyes connected, and quickly flickered away.

We were on speaking terms, but the tension was still there. It was a feeling I never thought I would feel; that someone as close as Mae would pin me as something I wasn't. The fact that those thoughts ran through her mind, that I didn't deserve to be here and only am by the pity of others, made me want to slap and hug her at the same time.

While encircling the balcony, I avoided getting too close to the group. I couldn't look them in the eye, not with these clouded thoughts. Kakashi's glance pierced my back as I turned away for the next lap. That was Kakashi for you, always watching from afar, making sure I was safe.

My disobedient legs stumbled and I quickly grabbed the railing to prevent wiping out. Was it true? Did people only associate with me because of pity? The Hokage letting me stay in the village, Team 7 being nice to me, Kakashi assuring that I was important. Was Leda's death just another notch on the pity belt? Was that the reason why the Hokage allowed Mae and myself to stay and fight?

Words echoed into my subconscious. It took me moments to realize it was Ino's voice and was drawn back into the battle.

"This isn't how it's supposed to go. How could you be evenly matched with me?" Ino wheezed, resulting from the extended period of fighting.

"You're obsess with your looks and your hair while I've been training too hard to worry about that stuff," Sakura chastised, playing with her freshly cut hair.

Ino growled with frustration and pulled out a kunai. "I've had enough of you making fun of me!" Ino reached towards her long, blonde ponytail and cut it at the base.

Sakura was amused by the act. "You think that'll help?"

"That's it!" Ino threw her rogue hair. Long, blonde strands created a runway of webs.

Anxiety pressed into my chest, squeezing like a python around a puny rat. The Unknown thoughts, the hatred everyone had for each other, it was too much. Tightness suffocated my breaths like I was breathing in soot, overanalyzing everything. The desire to know how people perceived me was too much. These battles were too much. People dying was too much!

My vision started to tunnel, only a pinpoint remained. My ears rung and blood felt like it was bursting out of their veins, whirl pooling in my mind. Everything went black as I felt my body drop.

* * *

I woke up what felt like days later, assuming my nose was dug in the dirty linoleum, but that wasn't the case. Instead, I hovered inches above the ground. A small strip of sand caressed my chest, preventing me from eating dirt. The Sand Siblings all gave me sideway glances.

"Welcome back, Sunshine," Kankuro snickered.

Realization hit me and I scrambled to stand. _Gaara helped me. But, why? _I didn't even realize I was near them when I fainted.

The eerily silence in the arena dragged me back to reality, and I stumbled to peer over the railing, paying no mind that I was standing between Kankuro and Gaara.

Sakura and Ino both laid unconscious in Ino's scattered, long hair.

"What happened?" I croaked, feeling guilty that my thoughts gravitated me away from Sakura's fight.

"Blondie used her hair like a chakra rope to pin Pinkie down. Then Blondie used some kind of mind transfer shit and went into Pinkie's body." Kankuro rolled his eyes.

As vague as Kankuro was, I knew he was referring to the Mind Transfer jutsu. I recalled witnessing the move back in the Forest of Death when she used it on Kin. Ino used her hair and chakra to ensure she hit Sakura, and then took over her spirit and body. "And then?" I pressed on.

Kankuro let out an unnecessarily dramatic sigh. "Pinkie took over and pushed Blondie out of her body. Then the two charged, decked each other and passed out."

As sympathetic as Kankuro wasn't and the fact I could have gotten better information from a two-year-old, my heart still ached for Sakura. Kakashi and Asuma-sensei carried their fallen students and reunited them with the group. Everyone circled around the two girls, worried about their well-being. It felt weird watching the scene from across the arena. Like I should have been there, but a glass wall separated us.

The scrolling to nominate the next constants activated. Before the names were revealed, Gaara began to disintegrate into sand. "Stay here," he commanded before disappearing. I obediently complied, too weak to move from my spot.

Gaara reappeared in a dune of sand by the time the names have been finalized.

**Gaara vs Rock Lee**

"It's my turn, excellent!" Lee paraded.

"A piece of advice before you start," Guy-sensei placed a hand on his pupil's shoulder. "You see that gourd on that guy's back? There's something weird about it. Watch out."

Lee shined like that was the greatest piece of advice he has ever heard. He pulled out a notepad from a hidden compartment in his green jumpsuit. "Good advice, sir!" and proceeded to write it down.

"Don't write that down. You won't have time to read it during your match," Guy-sensei scolded.

Lee's face shined brighter. "Oh, more good advice," and jotted that down as well.

"Is that guy serious?" Kankuro asked, absurd by the scene.

"Unfortunately," I groaned, thinking back to when he made a mission to spread the youth by hugging his friends, and snapping my spine in the process. "That's Lee," but despite everything, I couldn't help by show a small smile.

Lee hopped into the area and faced Gaara. "I knew sooner or later, we would have to meet, but I'm glad it's sooner." He rose his hands up to fight. Gaara glared, unamused.

"I don't know what kind of moves that guy with the dumb haircut got, but he'll never take Gaara down. Not in this lifetime," Kankuro spoke, thinking the possibility of Lee winning ridiculous.

"Wrong," I said. I knew not anyone could take on Sasuke, but Lee did. He was _strong_. Kankuro gave me a questioned look, but I remained focus on the battle.

"Alright, if you're ready. Begin," Hayate announced.

Lee didn't waste a second and attacked with his Leaf Hurricane. His powerful kick would have inflicted a significant amount of damage, if Gaara's sand didn't leave its gourd and block the kick. The sand countered and Lee leapt out of way.

"A sand manipulation jutsu, huh?" Lee said, witnessing Gaara's sand for the first time. "It won't be easy getting through that. But, nothing ventured, nothing gained!" He beamed at the challenge.

Lee didn't hesitate to attack again. The sand shot out and Lee rolled out of the way with a smile still plastered on his face. Lee threw kunai and the sand instinctively blocked them. They embedded into the sand wall before dropping with a clatter. Lee ran around Gaara, striking wherever an opening presented itself. It doesn't even phase Gaara as his arms remained crossed. He doesn't even watch Lee's movements. He stared out into the arena, bored.

Lee thought Gaara was using a jutsu to manipulate the sand. Between watching Gaara in the forest and now, I knew that wasn't the case. Gaara wasn't controlling the sand. The sand was moving on its own accord.

"It's like the sand is a living thing," I spoke, still awestruck by the phenomenon.

Kankuro nodded. "It will come to Gaara's defenses without his doing. That's why Gaara has never been injured. No one has ever touched him."

From Kankuro's helpless tone, I could see how he and Temari feared their brother. With a power like that, who wouldn't be?

"Well, is that all? I hope you're not finished entertaining me. We haven't had enough… blood." Gaara spoke with hate as the sand grabbed Lee's leg and flung him. Lee recovered his balance mid-air and landed on the massive hand statue.

"He's done for," Kankuro spoke in his helpless tone again.

"Don't count him out just yet," I promised. I knew Sasuke wouldn't copy a jutsu, Lee's jutsu, if he wasn't a powerful foe.

Lee was about to leap off the statue when his sensei called out to him.

"Alright, Lee. Take them off," Guy-sensei waved.

I didn't know what he was referring to, but Lee seemed to. "But you said I could only take them off when it was last resort! If people's lives were at stake!"

Guy-sensei grinned goofily. "Right, but this is an exception," giving his pupil a thumbs up.

Lee was elated by the news and rolled his orange leg warmers up. Underneath were tan cuffs broken into segments, each containing an individual weight.

Lee unclasped both rolls of weight. "Ah, that's better. Now I can move freely." He held each out to his side.

"Come on. You think you can get through Gaara's defenses by dropping a couple pounds?" Temari asked aloud.

Lee dropped the weights and he disappeared before they hit the floor. Two large explosions occurred as if the weight were made of dynamite, taking Temari aback.

The leaf ninja became a force of nature. A blur of green was all we saw of him. It wasn't like he disappeared/ reappeared through a jutsu such as Kakashi commonly performed or Gaara did with his sand just moments ago. There weren't any tricks. He was just _fast._

When Lee laid a punch or a kick, the sand barely had enough time to react, surprising him. Gaara's eyes widened as his hair ruffled by a glancing blow. Gaara tried to follow Lee's movements, but he was too quick. Lee leapt into the air and did a multiple aerial flip which ended with a kick to Gaara's head snapped downwards.

Temari and Kankuro gaped like they just witnessed the impossible. "Gaara got hurt," Temari babbled.

"That's impossible," Kankuro's jaw was practically to the ground. "He's never been hurt."

"Yes, Lee! Let the power of youth explode!" Guy-sensei yelled. Fire engulfed his eyes, fully reeved.

Gaara's mouth hung open too, but he remained standing. A small cut, barely bleeding, was the result to Lee's speed. Slowly, sand poured out of his gourd. His opened mouth manifested into a sneer and then into pure bliss. A scary grin plastered onto his face. His breaths turned into wheezing, but it wasn't from asthma, it was from excitement.

The thought creeped through my bones. Gaara was happy to have a worthy opponent, someone who would be a challenge to kill. Like this was all a game to him. How could a guy like Gaara save me from passing out onto the floor?

"Kankuro," I whispered. "There's something I have to ask you."

"Huh?" He rose an irritated brow.

"Why would you and Temari stand up for Mae and I to stay in the Chunin exams?" I didn't ask about their reasoning for bringing back Leda's body. I'm not ready to hear that one.

"Because Gaara told us to," Kankuro replied with a look of disgust, like he didn't particularly want to.

I couldn't hide my shock. "Why would he do that?"

"How should I know?" he responded, irritated. "If Gaara tells you to do it, you do it." I knew with his finality tone, I wasn't going to get more information out of him. With more questions than answers, I continued watching the fight.

Lee antagonized Gaara, yelling how he was here, but quickly ran somewhere else. Lee was the annoying fly that no matter how hard you tried, couldn't catch.

"What are you waiting for?" Gaara said, annoyed.

"Alright, here I come," Lee said, skidding underneath Gaara and kicking him into the air.

Now both in the air, Lee unraveled the bandages on his arms and wrapped them around Gaara and his gourd. Together, they spun around into a downward facing inferno.

"Now take this, primary lotus," Lee yelled, driving Gaara into the ground. An enormous crater formed, causing an aftershock that tried to blow everyone on the top level away.

Once the gust lifted, Naruto and the others cheered at the sight of Gaara at the bottom of the crater, motionless. Lee huffed, placing his hands on his knees and hunching over, but he was happy it was over. He won.

Hayate walked over to Gaara to assess the damage. In the crater was Gaara, filled with cracks like a shattered porcelain doll. The cracks grew too big and caved into a hollow, sand shelled, Gaara.

"What?" Lee gasped. Laughing sounded from behind him and he whipped around to see Gaara rising from the ground. Sand cascading down his face as he laughed manically.

Kankuro was uncomfortable by the scene. "Things are getting bad." I looked at him, not understanding. "I haven't seen that look on his face in a long time."

"I knew it. I sensed him getting more and more unstable as the Chunin progressed. The demon inside has awakened." Temari's face was ghostly white, washed from all its color.

I didn't understand what Temari meant by that, but I did realize Gaara's sand protects him like armor as well and that's what was in pieces in the bottom of the crater. "So did those kicks Lee inflicted really hit him?"

"No, it just hit his sand armor," Kankuro explained.

I stared with disbelief. For Lee to fight so strong and run so fast. All of it for nothing.

"Are there any weaknesses?" I asked in desperation.

Kankuro didn't face me when he said, "It's one giant weak spot."

Gaara preformed hand signs and sand shot out. Lee's last jutsu took a heavy toll and left him lethargic as tidal waves of sand repeatedly slammed him into the wall. Lee threw his arms up in defense.

"What good do you think that will do?" Gaara pitied, striking him again with sand, mercilessly.

"I pity for the kid. Gaara will toy with him until he begs for mercy," Kankuro frowned.

"Well then, Gaara is in for a long match because that will never happen. Lee doesn't know when to give up." I should have been proud when speaking that, but the fact was, I was worried. Really worried Lee would happily fight to the death if that's what it took.

Suddenly, Lee started to pick up speed again, dashing away from the sand. "There are gates along the chakra network located where the highest concentration of chakra are. Before, I opened the first gate, the primary lotus."

"I don't care," Gaara complained, sending sand Lee's way.

"These gates limit the flow of chakra through the body, but the lotus forces these gates open, increasing my chakra flow by tenfold."

I didn't fully understand where Lee was going with this, but a ruckus between Kakashi and Guy drew my attention

"Guy, you didn't," I heard Kakashi yell at Guy.

Guy smirked, "Yes, Kakashi, I did." Kakashi looked bewildered. I was starting to understand Kakashi's concerns. If Lee opened the first gate before, that left his debilitated for quite an extended amount of time as Gaara tormented him. What will happen when he opened the other gates? I gripped the rails tighter. Whatever was about to go down, I fear it was going to be the final round.

Lee stopped talking and started concentrating his chakra. "Second gate, Gate of Rest." A heroic roar came from the Leaf Shinobi and a beam of light shot out. "Third gate, Gate of Life!"

"I don't know what you think you're planning right now, but this match is over for you," Gaara explained. Sand swirled around him, ready to fight and defend.

"You are right. It is over, one way or another. I am not going to be the only one to lose here." Lee manifested into something I could barely recognize. His eyes were white, no pupils to show. His skin reddened, angered by the stress the excess chakra was putting on him. Veins protruded from his arms, thick meandering rivers trying to supply oxygen and blood to the damaged body. A green aura surrounded him, making him someone to fear, even for Gaara.

"His whole body is changing," the words left my lips, but they dissipated in the air, minute compared to the energy that was being released.

"It is now or never. Gate of Pain, open!" Lee cried, running faster than he ever had before. The force of his feet gracing the ground shattered the floor below him. Chucks of rock soared through the air, one aimed directly at me which I ducked at the last second. His green suit wasn't visible as he ran, now appearing in front of Gaara, whose sand didn't stand a chance.

Lee kicked Gaara in the jaw and sent him flying. The armor displayed major faults. That many cracks from one single kick. The sand slowly followed Gaara, but it might as well have been snail speed. There was no way it could protect him.

"Hidden behind that sand armor, eh? Well, we'll see about that!" Lee concentrated harder, forcing his body to undergo more stress. His body fought back, momentarily, but quickly subdued to Lee. "Gate of Closing….open!"

Lee kicked Gaara towards each extreme side of the arena, bouncing him back and forth like a pinball in a machine. Each kick caused deeper, proliferated cracks than the last one.

"Take this!" Lee said, grabbing hold of Gaara's white sash, pulling him forwards, and smashing him into the floor.

The aftershock was catastrophic as gusts of wind and debris sailed onto everyone on the upper level. Without second thought, I clung onto Kankuro to prevent myself from being blown away. Kankuro grunted heavily, holding onto the railing for dear life for the both of us.

Once it seized and the dust dissipated, everyone stared with bugged-out eyes. We watched with anticipation whether either one of them survived this.

Out from the blast crawled Lee, his jumpsuit was destroyed and he could barely stand, but he was alive. He huffed while he grabbed his arm. One of his eyes were half closed. He was injured, but alive. I sighed with relief.

But out from the crater, larger than the last, was Gaara. He stumbled out of the hole with an empty back. Gaara's gourd turned into sand at the last ditch effort to protect him.

"How?" Lee stared with disbelief, stumbled to the ground. His muscles and skin under his shirt were ripped. Blood sept through the teared skin. Lee couldn't stand anymore. The power of opening the chakra gates left him debilitated. He was done for. Gaara's face lit up with delight as sand his gourd reformed. He licked his lips like a lion viewing a tasty zebra.

I couldn't watch this anymore. If no one stopped him, Lee would die. I couldn't stand someone else get hurt in these preliminaries.

"He'll kill you if you try to stop him," Temari said, as if reading my mind. Or it could be she was thinking the same thing as me.

Sand obediently followed Gaara's raised hand. His palm was faced flat, outwards, his fingers slightly curled. I recognized the gesture. I'd seen it when he captured the shinobi in the Forest of Death and squeezed them with his Sand Coffin until you could no longer hear their pleas.

The sand rushed towards Lee, too fast for him to stand a chance to move. Lee attempted to roll out of the way, but the sand caught hold of his left arm and leg, a bear trap from the desert.

Without a second's delay, Gaara squeezed his hand, clapping onto Lee's limbs. Lee's screams made my heart ache. It shook me to the core. I was thankful that the pain was too much and he fell into unconsciousness.

But Gaara still had that look in his eyes as the sand continued to swirl around Lee. Like a shark circling its prey, it was ready to strike again, and this time, for the kill.

I couldn't let that happen as I leapt over the railing. Temari called out for me, but I didn't listen. The arena was in a shape of a bowl, but it was steep enough for me to lose my balance and roll to the bottom. But that didn't stop me, only when I collapsed on top of Lee, did I stop moving.

My eyes squeezed shut, but heard the rustling of sand losing its distance between us. It was until I could no longer hear anything did I gain the strength to open my eyes. Within mere inches of my face, was the sand hovering, stopping short.

Beyond the sand was a very ticked off Sand nin. "Move," he wheezed, cold, heartless.

"Please, Gaara. He's unconscious. It's not fair," I pleaded.

"I said, _move_," Gaara's tone said it all. If I didn't move, he would take both of us out.

But I wasn't obeying. Between everything I have gone through in the forest and seen in the exam, I had more backbone than that. I stood up now, closing the distance between Gaara and I. "No." My voice shook, but it was enough for Gaara to hesitate even for a nanosecond. His eyes scanned mind, searchingly.

Before Gaara decided to do anything, Guy interfered. His arm stretched between Gaara and me, officially ending the match. The biggest sigh of relief escaped my lungs. The medic team rushed to the scene as Hayate announced Gaara the winner of the battle.

"Lee!" Sakura yelled as her and the others hopped off the railing and rushed to their fellow shinobi.

Gaara paid no mind to Hayate nor the others. "But, why? He failed. Why save him?" He asked Guy, grabbing his head, but whether it was from a headache or for another reason, I couldn't tell.

Guy watched the medical team do their job. "Because he's… he's my student and he is precious to me." Gaara's face scrunched by Guy's reply. It reminded me of a child who didn't understand what he was doing was wrong.

Naruto stood in front of Lee as the medic team prepared him for the stretcher. "Bushy Brows…"

A medic turned to Guy. "You're his teacher, aren't you?"

"I am."

"The boy's breathing is faint, but steady. There are bone fractures and muscle tears throughout his body and his left arm and leg, in particular, have some massive damage. He is facing a long, difficult rehabilitation, but I'm afraid that's not the worst of it. I'm sorry, but he'll never fight again. His shinobi days are over," the medic said, sadly.

"No, you're wrong. This can't be true," Naruto said.

Guy-sensei began to sob. "Lee, oh, Lee forgive me. I wanted you to achieve your goal. I wanted you to prove that all you needed was taijutsu."

Naruto was shattered. "It's not true. It can't be true. Easy for you to say it's over. What about Bushy Brow? What's he supposed to do now? I thought you said we could win. I thought you were going to show how a failure can—"

Kakashi covered his mouth from behind. "That's enough, Naruto."

Naruto removed his hand. "But sensei, it isn't fair. All he ever wanted to do was to prove himself; prove himself to Sasuke and Neji."

Kakashi patted his shoulders understandingly. "And maybe that's what led him to his demise. He was so fixated on that goal that he sacrificed his body, his future to obtain it. Now that goal is unattainable."

Naruto looked at the ground, wordless.

"But, you are wrong about one thing, Naruto," Kakashi continued. "He was thinking of you, too. He risked everything to fight you in combat. Be aware of that. Be worthy of his sacrifice."

We watched Lee get carried away. Sakura and Ino leaned onto each other, still tired from their fight. Mae clasped her hands together, trying not to cry. Kiba was next to her, trying to be comforting. Guy-sensei stood by his students in tears. By the time Lee left the arena and I turned back around, Gaara was already gone; reunited with his siblings. His expressions were back to normal, stoic.

"Come on, Guy," Kakashi gestured. "Let's go. They can't start the match with us standing here."

Guy-sensei nodded his head, sadly. "Right."

We were about to follow Kakashi's lead when he stopped me. "You should probably stay here."

I stared cross at him, not sure what he meant by that. He pointed to the screen behind me. Shocked, my heart started to pound as I slowly turned around.

My eyes widened with fear. _No, it can't be. Anyone but her:_

**Quorra Hatake vs Mae Muruyama**

* * *

**Dun Dun DUN. Well it's happening, Quorra vs Mae. Did anyone guess that? How will the battle go? Who will win?**

***Also, I'm not sure I explained it in my story. Quorra took Kakashi's last name because he is the legal guardian. Just making that clear!**

**Until next time!**

**xo**


	37. Chapter 37

Thank you for the reviews SakuMiChanNoGaara, TheLunaGoddess, Senka, Lavendor Queen, time-twilight, PurpleRawan, blackpearrlgurl, Snowwy, and Natsuki Scarlet!

I think we can all agree the fight between Quorra and Mae will be very interesting!

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter thirty-seven: Mae**

_"__Being in a new place, with strange people, being with myself— a practical stranger."_

Stranger. That's what Quorra said. When she first arrived here. Well, now _here, _the Forest of Death, but here as in Konoha. To her, she was a stranger to others, even in her own skin. Little did she understand, I was a stranger as well.

Quorra was mad— furious was the correct terminology. Her Peridot eyes could zap me to embers. But, I couldn't blame her. I accused her of slacking. I didn't mean to, I swear. The words slipped out. All I meant by not agreeing with her was that I believed she doesn't try hard to protect Leda.

Quorra distances herself from people. She could be your Right Hand man one moment, the next, she will slip away like fog over water. I've noticed it, Leda has noticed it; Kiba as well. But does Quorra? I couldn't be positive.

When Quorra felt forced to drop out of school, she became distant. She manifested into an apparition who couldn't peacefully transition into the afterlife. It was to the point where Leda didn't feel right staying with her and asked if I could take her in. Quorra didn't kick Leda out of her house, but she didn't question her leaving.

And who was the girl Leda turned to, talking until the early hours of the morning about hardship and family struggles? Me.

So when Quorra mentioned that she knew more than anyone what hard work was, meaning _I _didn't know what hard work was, I lost it. It was uncertain if this inner anger derived by my fear of the forest, the worry of a missing Leda, or the burden of satisfying my family; the same family who doesn't feed me dinner unless I came home with nothing-less-than-outstanding records.

If Leda taught me one thing from our hours and hours of conversation, I couldn't back down. I would be stepped on all over again, just like my family does.

I was about to retaliate, but Quorra cut me short. "And for being such a genius, it doesn't take one to know that it was pretty hurtful of you to give those "easy" answers to Kiba. What kind of teammate are you? He isn't even on your team!"

I felt burnt from her laser eyes. Within seconds, I became the crummy, insignificant girl I always was. The girl who never had a backbone to defend herself. The girl who knew things but didn't _know_ things.

My reasoning for not giving her answers was simple. I wanted to see if Quorra could do it on her own. I wanted to know if she could cheat without getting caught; prove that she was strong enough to be on this team. I meant what I told her, I believed the Hokage did "throw" her the position, becoming shinobi. To me, a true shinobi never backs down, even when things get tough, even your family treats you like scum, when _I _felt like a stranger in my own skin. A shinobi especially doesn't back down if their creepy sensei was hitting on them.

Quorra needed to prove to me, that despite the hardship, she was a shinobi. Wasn't that fair? She was becoming _mine_ and Leda's teammate. I needed to know if she was worthy; that she would fight for us as we would for her.

That she wouldn't leave us again.

"I was going to give you the answers, too," I muttered. The words I truly wanted to say wouldn't come out as I shrunk into my shell once more.

"Bullshit," Quorra spat. "All you care about is creating a reason for Kiba to talk to you. And I still had the audacity to be happy for you, even when you threw Leda and myself under the bus! If Kiba didn't help me, I would have rose my hand and we wouldn't even be here right now. Doesn't that faze you?"

The words hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn't even conjure up the courage to speak, let alone listen to Leda's advice. "Fuck you, Quorra," I struggled to say. My lips were trembling, hating myself more.

Quorra was quick to react. That was a trait with Quorra, when she was passionate about it, good or bad, she will go at it full throttle. "No, fuck you, Mae. Do you know what? I think this is all because you are jealous Kiba talks to me while he ignores you. You can't stand it."

I shrunk further into myself, fearing Quorra was right. Maybe I was jealous with the way Kiba looked at Quorra and how it wasn't the same with me. Was I that much of a fangirl?

"While you stand here bickering about your problems, I'm going to find Leda, _my teammate_," Quorra declared and took off before I could reply.

* * *

I was left to fend for myself in a place called the Forest of Death. I tried strategically to come up with other, more suitable names for the forest:

Forest of Darkness…

Forest of Daunting Quercus rubra…

Forest of Delirium…

Anything to calm my aching pit I called my stomach, but no name seemed to do justice. This was a forest of death.

A flock of flying creatures flew overhead. I wished hard that they were giant birds, but I couldn't fool myself. Their silhouette didn't resembled that of a bird's. Some were gliding while others leapt through the trees… like primates.

The mathematical possibility of them being Simiiformes that evolved with the characteristics of flight was improbable in my mind, but primary instincts kicked in. Not wanting to risk the chance, I dashed to the bushes.

With branches poking and probing me at every angle, I was safe, for now. Their declaring howl proved that they we indeed Simiiformes, flying monkeys. The creatures overhead didn't stop and seemed to have a destination in mind.

If someone told me that within the first hour of being in the Forest of Death, I would lose my teammate, argue with the other, and then hid in an uncomfortable bush from bizarre creatures, well, I would go on a ten minute rant explaining how their statement was ridiculous.

Indeed, as much as I wished it didn't happen, it did. I couldn't wrap my brain around it. The string of events that collided together with such force, a massacre that may never mend.

All those things I said to Quorra. I admit, I did think she was getting more chances than most. But, the depth of my anger and the way my body underwent a tsunami of emotions that came crashing, I had no idea I had that in me. All my life, I kept to myself. Tried not to step on any toes, be invisible in the sea of bodies and faces.

It all started with Quorra. That moment we meant in class and the bully of the year, Leda, pushed Quorra off her seat and called her the C-word. Something drawn me to her, Quorra, sitting on the floor looking clueless. Something in those eyes told me to step out of my 'Be Invisible' code and help her. It was the most climatic event that has ever happened in the timeline of my life.

Between her and Leda, they both tried to get me out of my comfort zone. Like that time Quorra dragged us— okay, me— to the hot springs. I've never been so scared in my life. Quorra knew that, yet she didn't pressure me. As for Leda, well, Leda was Leda. Her pressuring you was an act of kindness.

Long story short, they were the ones who inspire me to step out of my comfort zone. I started doing what I did best, be the genius, outwards for everyone to know. I knew I had a long way to go, to be like Leda and Quorra. Yet, they had my back and I blew it.

I couldn't forget Kiba. I never had an infatuation with a boy; nevertheless, thought I was worthy to be. Something about Kiba was enlightening. His naïve I'm-going-to-conquer-the-world attitude reminded me off… well it reminded me of Leda and Quorra. People I inspired to be.

But I feared this was a curse, one I should crawl back to my old self. My feelings, words to Quorra, weren't from inspiration. Those were buried deep inside of my own being, leaving me uneasy.

And now Quorra will find Leda, tell her what happened, and they will never forgive me.

As I thought it, I heard something in the distance. It was yelling…

_Leda!_

* * *

Stealthily, I tracked down the sound. As I suspected, it was Leda. I sighed with liberation. She was having an argument with something I never in a million years thought I would say. Leda was arguing…with a plant.

"Yo, Venus. Bug off, can't you see I'm trying to piss here?" she snapped as she began to unbutton her cargo pants.

Yes… Leda was arguing with a 10 foot, carnivorous Dionaea muscipula, a Venus flytrap. _I swear, that girl can start an argument with a 10-foot pole._

The plant snapped at her, angered that she was in its territory. Unlike a normal flytrap, this one was poison red, almost as red as Leda's hair. Dark purple splotched the surface of its leafy skin, resembling bruises. Oh, and one more difference.

This one had teeth, lots of long, spiny, teeth.

"You know what? I don't like your attitude!" Leda could care less about the threat. She pulled a kunai from her pouch. "All I want to do is take a shit in peace! And you come popping from of the ground out of nowhere, saying I can't!"

She was right, below the monstrous plant, the ground was unsettled. Its hunting mechanism must be to hid underground until its prey— or a tasty red head—came by.

"Don't you know it's rude to watch people shit?" Leda waved the kunai like it was a toy, scolding the hostile plant. "How about I chop you down like a Cherry tree? Let's see how _you_ like being disturbed!" Leda charged like a wild, Neanderthal.

"Leda, don't!" I yelled, jumping out of cover.

My voice threw her off balance, skidding to a halt. "Mae?"

That millisecond of dropping her defenses was all the Venus flytrap needed and lunged.

"Leda!" I warned.

Leda whipped her head back towards her opponent. "Fuck!"

One second, Leda was bad-mouthing a plant. The next, the plant was mouthing Leda as it grabbed hold of her with its needle teeth. Leda's bottom half was engulfed in the autotroph's mouth. Since she forgot to button her pants back up, half her rear was exposed.

"Leda!" I yelled.

"It's all good!" she reassured. She started pounding on the mouth of the plant. It growled with resistance, not wanting to release Leda anytime soon. "Just get me out of this pussy eater!"

One quick hand movement and a water jutsu later, I cut the stem, beheading it. It still fought back as the head and Leda tumbled. To finish the job, I trust my hand into the spinal cord of where I severed and forced water into it. The head swelled and eventually exploded. Chucks of plant meat scattered the forest floor, leaving the both of us wet.

Leda scrambled out of what remained of the mouth and wiped herself off. "Hmph! That's what you get for messing with me, you stupid, overgrown plant." She kicked a chuck of flytrap that was by her foot. The mud created from my water jutsu caused her to slip and cursed wildly. I shook my head with the biggest smile.

After defeating the Droseraceae, Leda finally was, at long last, able to relieve herself. She used the leaves of the flytrap to wipe her bottom, to show whose boss even in the afterlife, she explained. I was just glad I was there when I was.

It didn't take long for Leda to ask the big question of the hour. "Where's Quorra?"

"Looking for you," I replied. It was the truth. An eyebrow raise later, I sighed and succumbed to telling her what happened.

* * *

"You told Quorra she wasn't a hard worker?" Leda clarified what I said.

"Yes," I said, shamefully.

"And how people give her things she doesn't deserve?"

"People _did _give her things that she didn't have work as hard for, like we had to," I tried to defend myself.

Leda wasn't having it. "Man, that's dick."

"I know, okay, I know!" I caught myself, fearing my inner demon was going to take over again. With a deep breath, "Can you blame me? You and I studied like crazy for the shinobi exam. You actually stayed up all night for it. She left us and then comes back with everyone, everything and more. It wasn't fair." I knew Leda would defend Quorra. The way I approached it was unacceptable. "But, look how she treated us."

Leda remained quiet as we continued walking. I knew her. I could tell from her face she was wounded when Quorra wasn't at the graduation ceremony. No one was there to cheer her on. She might not have agreed with me, and she certainly thought my approach was uncalled for, but she did think Quorra pushed us away.

Leda avoided answering. "It's hot as a swampy ass here." She pulled on her crop top, fanning herself. "Aren't you hot as balls in that shit?" She eyed my long sleeved, long skirt outfit.

"No, not really," I lied. We worked up a sweat fighting a 10-foot man-eating plant.

"Why don't you tear some of that skirt off? It'll feel much cooler. I'll help." She reached for the hem of my skirt.

"No, that's alright." I ripped the fabric from her grasps.

"What's the matter with shortening the peasant skirt?" she barked. "You're hiding cuts under there or something?"

"Don't even kid about stuff like that!" I snapped. There it goes again, my temper. I didn't know what's wrong with me. Well, I did know. But, I would never tell her why.

"Okay, okay. Hands off the merchandise, my bad." Leda threw her hands up in defense. I avoided her convoluted stare as I readjusted my skirt.

"Look, I'm sorry. I'm just worried about Quorra."

I knew she was, it was written all over her face. I was worried, too.

Leda quickly segued to another topic. "Oh, before I was getting eaten by Pusszilla the Weed, I bumped into Dog-Boy and his team."

"Kiba?" My head shot up. "How were they? Was he alright?"

"Yeah, they're fine. Kiba was freaked out though. Kept asking where Quorra was." Leda shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh…" I wished I didn't sound so disappointed.

Leda continued. "When I asked what was bunching up his undies, he wouldn't say. He kept asking where she was, don't know why. He looked as if he witnessed someone die."

I instantly was worried about him, hoping his group was alright and would find another scroll so that he could be in the finals. But, laced in the webbings of my emotions was sadness.

"The only way I got him to be remotely calm down was to reassure him that _you_ were with her," she added.

Leda was trying to make me feel better, I knew that. It just goes to show that if something happened to her, all hell broke loose. But, if something happened to me, no one would care.

Leda rolled her eyes. "Look, I know you're in love with Drooler, alright? Just… give it time. Be yourself. Boys are naïve and stupid."

Shocked was the easy way of putting Leda's admiration. She never was the one for advice, even now. But that was the most genuine, non-sarcastic thing I ever heard escape from her lips. I stared Leda up and down. Her crazy demeanors were untouched by the forest, nor the plant eating psycho machine. She didn't care she was out here, fending for her life. She was with people she cared about, one of them being me, _actually _me. Has crazy as she was, she was one badas— butt.

Leda smirked at me and I could help, but smirk back. As touching as the moment was, it was my time to segue to a different topic. Glancing at her, I noticed her box of cigarettes poking out of her cargo pocket. The skulls and flames, typical Leda, winked.

"Leda, can I ask you something?"

"Huh?" She stared at me with her doe brown eyes.

I've noticed it for some time now— the full box of cigarettes. Leda, the girl who smoke enough cigarettes to out-smoke the most advanced smokers, hasn't been. In fact, now that I thought about it, I couldn't put my finger on the last time she had one stuffed idly in her bad-mannered mouth. "Why don't you smoke anymore?"

The question, I realized, took her by surprise. She then gave me a look I saw often in people. Like they were saying: _How did she know? Oh, wait. Of course, she's a genius._

But happened next, even genius me could have never predicted. Leda smiled. It was a smile I have never seen on anyone, especially her. It was a smile that showed hope, and compassion, and her full-heart behind it. It was then I realized what the reason was, why she stopped smoking.

It was because of her. It was all for her.

* * *

**Quorra Hatake vs Mae Muruyama**

Faith can be a funny thing. One minute it is on your side, the next it will leave you to fend for yourself. Quorra looked petrified. Her wide, chartreuse green eyes glowed.

"Hey, that's no fair!" Naruto pointed at Hayate, our proctor. "They're teammates!"

"According to the rule, whoever's name appears on the screen has to fight," Hayate spoke, clearing his throat afterwards.

"Your rules can blow it up the ass!" Naruto declared. He was always the rash one of the group, but he was right. It wasn't fair.

"That's enough, Naruto," his sensei, Kakashi spoke. He was the opposite of Naruto, rational. It was admirable but what little visible skin I could see on him left me uneasy. "Do you want them to get disqualified before they even begin?"

Naruto began to rebut. "But, but… gr." He knew it was futile.

"Don't worry," Kakashi-sensei patted Naruto's head, demonstrating how tall Kakashi-sensei really was. He stared at Quorra with his expressive eye. That was another thing about him that left me uneasy. The way he looked at Quorra, it wasn't a teacher-student stare. Maybe that was because he was the one who found her in the forest, disheveled. Maybe that created a different, deeper connection between the two.

I was in bad shape, but Quorra won that contest. Exhaustion and battling has been cruel to Quorra. The newest scratch on her face doesn't help.

Kiba growled besides me. I knew he was mad that we got paired together, but that wasn't the only thing upsetting him.

"She'll forgive you," I reassured Kiba, grabbing his hand. He stared back with shock, surprised that I knew what made him upset.

I gave it a quick pat. I thought of Leda; how she told me to just be myself around him. And that's what I intend on doing. "Don't worry."

Little did he know, I was speaking for the both of us.

* * *

Kakashi-sensei shooed everyone, including Kiba, to the upper levels. Before the match officially began, he walked up to Quorra, while Gachero-sensei approached me.

"Hey, Mae. What's with the face? You should be very proud that you have made it this far," sensei comforted.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

With his pearly-white smile, he placed a hand on my shoulder and leaned in close, whispering distance from my ear. "You can do this, Mae. You graduated top in your class and I know how hard you have worked to be where you are. Don't let fighting against Quorra stop you from achieving your goals. I have faith you."

My eyes widen by Gachero-sensei's declaration. No one has ever acknowledged how hard I have worked. "Thank- thank you, sensei," I stuttered.

He batted his long eyelashes and took something out of his pocket and secretively placed it in my hands. I stared with puzzlement. It was a scroll.

"For the battle, just in case," he explained.

"What is it?" I didn't understand why he was giving this to me. _Is this against the rules?_

"It'll help with your fight against Quorra, but be careful. It requires a lot of chakra."

All I could do was nod. I was speechless. Was he going to give something to Quorra as well?

With a final pat and a wink later, Gachero-sensei left my presence and went to talk to Quorra. In replace, Kakashi-sensei approached me. He walked nonchalantly; hands deep in his pockets. In all honesty, I was surprised he came to talk.

"So this is it," he said, matter-of-fact.

"Yeah…"

His one eye examined me closely as if seeing me for the first time. When his eye fell onto the scroll I forgot was in my hand, I turned red, hiding it behind my back.

"Listen," he began. "I know it must be tough to fight against your own teammate, believe me. You both deserve to be here." I realized then why Quorra was so fascinated with Kakashi-sensei, even when he wasn't her actual sensei. He had a way that when he said something, it must be true.

"But, you mustn't go easy on Quorra, either," he continued. "She wouldn't want you too."

He meant what he said there as well. "I know," I replied.

"Right, good luck," he smiled under his mask and saluted. Together Gachero and Kakashi-sensei left the arena.

Jonin that specialized in earth style jutsu manipulated and rearranged the arena to return it back to normal, prior to the damage Lee inflicted on it. Then, Quorra and I walked to the center and faced each other. Even if she had hatred for me, she was unsettled. I could tell in her eyes she didn't want to fight her own comrade. Kakashi-sensei was right, I would have to apologize to Quorra later; otherwise, she won't give it her all and I don't want that. Right now, I needed to act tough; summon my inner Leda.

I want her to prove that she deserved to be here just like I did. That's why I found the loophole to keep us in the Chunin exams in the first place. I want this to be a fair fight— fair and square.

"Ready to begin?" Hayate asked.

_Yes._

* * *

**So we get some background on what happened in the Forest of Death and Mae's point of view on it.**

**Gachero gave Mae a scroll. What could be in it? And like Mae wondered, did Quorra get one too?**

**Next chapter will be the big fight!**

**XO**


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Intense battle between teammates.

Thank you for the reviews Angel Hatake, SakuMiChanNoGaara, PurpleRawan, Guest, Jemmy, Natsuki Scarlet, Paperboy Jacky, and ShugoYuuki123!

To address some of you:

SakuMiChanNoGaara: I'm glad I make your mind fly. That's what I wish for with this story!

PurpleRawan: I'll try to clear your confusion. Mae does feel Quorra gets everything handed to her, hence not a hard worker like Mae is. But Mae was shocked and upset by the anger of her tone and how her opinion and more came out. She's scared that's because of the result of her desire to become her true self- not the shy, invisible girl she displays. She's scared her true self is a horrible human. Hope this helped!

Paperboy Jacky: Thank you for your reviews on here and Inkitt! It's lightly mention in ch18 that Team 7 went on that A rank mission. It's more emphasized in Ch20 when Naruto bragged about saving a village and having the bridge named after him. It's easy to miss, but the idea was while Quorra was at the Academy, Team 7 was on that mission. Hold on to that other observation.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: Be Extra Careful**

"Ready to begin?" asked Hayate.

_No. How could I ever be ready for something like this?_ As much as Mae hated me, she was still my teammate. Yet, they want me to fight her to the death.

I scanned her demeanor. Mae's pose was uncertain, like her hatred for me wasn't enough. Her hands hung by her side, still. She stared at me with shattered glasses, eyes determined. Even if she wasn't confident with the match up, this much was certain. She wanted to defeat me.

No one said anything above us, not even Naruto. I guess this situation was too much, even for him.

"Begin."

Mae lunged forward while I hopped back. We naturally started our hand-to-hand combat. Since being teammates, we knew each other's fighting style. I was quick on my feet; fight fast, strike faster. It was similar to Lee's. On the other hand, Mae's style resembled Neji's, more methodical. She hit when it mattered, thinking ahead. It was why we were such great teammates. We complemented each other.

Mae threw a punch, but I quickly dodged, leaving her open. Naturally, my fist flowed to the opening. Mae's eyes widen; those blue eyes. I remember joking with her that they were the color of sapphires. I remember how happy the remark made her. The smile on her face.

At the last second, my fist opened and slapped Mae across the face, rather than punch. Her glasses flew across the arena, like I was a bully picking on the unfortunate during lunch hour.

Her mouth dropped, staring at her glasses. Then she whipped towards me, her expression changing.

"I thought you said slapping was girly," Mae spat. She was referring to the time I fought Leda at the Academy. Leda was picking on Konohamaru and I punched her, stating slapping was too girly.

My hands shook. I didn't even like slapping her, how was I supposed to hit her.

She saw my pitiful expression. "Wimp," she said in disgust.

I was taken aback by the word. "What?"

"You heard me. I said you're a wimp. Fight me." She didn't even bother retrieving her broken glasses.

"I don't want to fight you!"

"But I want to fight you," and she quickly performed hand signs. Her water jutsu, like a fire extinguisher, threw me across the arena. I laid soaked in the puddle.

"If you don't go full force, I will kill you," she yelled and water rapidly shot out. I ran and rolled out of the water paths, but I didn't see the one changing its direction, coming at me from the front rather than the back, knocking me off my feet.

Quickly, I performed hand signals, took a deep breath, and exhaled the Phoenix Flower Jutsu. Rapid fire balls pirouetted towards Mae, who used her water jutsu to dowse them.

We performed an intense, elemental dance between water and fire. Fire that I created, she extinguished and water she created, I extinguished. Neither of us could land a blow as our fundamentals collided into a steam bath. It was a paradox; an impossibly in defeating the other. We were evenly matched.

"Use it," she demanded. Her eyes were wild.

"No," I slowly stood up. I knew what she wanted. The Sharingan.

"I said, use it!" This time Mae manipulated a single strand of water. Her arms waved widely as it swirled and dashed through the air with no way of tracking it.

Before I could rely on fire, the stream threw me back. My head slammed into the concrete wall. The pain pounded, wishing for it to stop.

"You know you can't defeat me without it. You don't stand a chance."

Unfortunately, she was right. Between her water jutsu and her brain, she had the upper hand.

"Prove it to me," she said. "Prove you are a hard worker, that you are worthy of being here. Prove me wrong." Her fists were clutched to her sides with the intent look of determination. But, laced behind it, was sadness, fear. She reminded me of a school girl trying to stand up for herself, but wasn't exuding enough confidence to pull it off.

I suddenly realized what she wanted. She wanted me to fight her to the fullest, so she could, too. Yes, she wanted me to prove myself, but she wanted to prove to herself too. _She didn't want to fight me out of anger, she just wants to fight. Fair and square._

My eyes traveled towards the people above me. Naruto and Sakura looked tense, knowing how much we both meant to them. Kiba was angry, gripping the railing harder than ever. Looking at Gaara, his arms were crossed and gave me a glare that asked if I was up to this challenge. He never saw me fight. He and his siblings wanted to see what I had to offer.

And finally, my eyes connected with Kakashi's. He wasn't leaning against the wall, like his nonchalant persona usually did. He stood by the railing with the others, watching me intently.

This was it. I needed to put all my prior feelings behind me and focus on the fight, no matter who it was against. Maybe that was the ultimate test, for becoming a shinobi. Sometimes you will be fighting battles or people you don't want to fight. But to protect your land, the village and the people inhabiting it, your emotions don't matter, they can't.

Kakashi gave a slight nod. It was all he needed to do. He knew I would have to face this, one way or another. He had faith in me, that I could surpass my emotions and do what needs to happen.

To become a kunoichi. To protect others.

I gave Mae, a quick, spastic nod. She understood and poised herself to fight.

I closed my eyes. Whatever emotions that remained were quickly shoved down. I was ready.

One moment, my eyes were green. The next, my eyes open to welcome the world with the newest shade of crimson. My Sharingan was activated.

"Don't hold back," Mae begged.

"I won't, Sapphire," I promised and charged at her. She performed hand signs, but already knew she was going to rely on her water and shot a breath full of fire. She rolled out of the way, but her long skirt caught wisps of the blazes, catching aflame. She quickly patted the hem.

_Too slow. _My knee drove into her chin, throwing her off her feet. Before she could recover, I swung my leg with a mighty kick and drove her into the wall. Elongated cracks formed.

Mae's body crumbled to the ground, but saw it was a trick. That wasn't the real Mae. The fake Mae disappeared in a wisp of smoke.

Before I could register it, my body instinctually threw their arms up in defense. The gusts of a punch grazed my ear and I dogged out of the way as bullets of water headed towards me.

I skidded to a halt and performed hand signs and fire left my lips. The tips of her hair smelled burnt as she ducked. She side-swept her leg, but I flipped over it.

During my flip, Mae recovered and manipulated a single strand as a shield. Whenever I had an opening, her water block me. Whenever she tried to hit me, I let out a burst of flame and the water would be gone. Again to be replenished by her jutsu abilities.

It was an even match. Fire versus water. Brains versus kekkei genkai. The methodical movements Mae performed versus the harsh jabs I executed. Water and fire matched our personalities, respectfully.

Mae used her mighty brain to not aim her water stream at my face, but rather my ankle. A tight grip of liquid grasped my ankle and threw me to the ground like a rag doll. Slammed to the ground, it held its grasp and slammed me repeatedly.

She was going for another round when I summoned a substitution jutsu. Poof in smoke, the water fell to the ground, no longer having a hold of me.

Mae looked frantically for me and when she least expected it— I knew because of the Sharingan— I reappeared where she didn't look, above her.

My foot slammed into the back of her skull, driving her into the ground. Back-flipping moves distanced me from her.

Mae rolled onto her stomach and, once more, performed signs. The water, this time, was bigger, flowing like a waterfall. With an angry call, Mae thrust her palms outwards and the water rushed towards me.

I smirked as I started to move stealthily away, but I felt something tug at my ankle. It was clear thread.

_Shit._ Before I could get away, the trip wire set off an explosion beneath my feet. She must have set it up while I was performing my substitution jutsu. _Clever, Mae. Always a step ahead._

She was successful. Between the explosion and the tsunami wave, I wasn't quick enough. The wave pinned me to the wall. My body and extremities were bounded, submerged in water with only my head free. I tugged at my limbs, but there was no use. The pressure of the water was too strong.

Mae stood in front of me triumphantly, but I could tell she was exhausted. We both were with our chakra running quickly dry, like trying to get the last drop of water from the bottom of a well.

My Sharingan was still activated and I tried to predict her next move, but she wasn't going to use a jutsu. I couldn't pinpoint what she had in mind, I never seen the act done with my Sharingan.

My question was soon answered when she pulled a scroll out of her pouch. _That's what I sensed, a summoning jutsu._

I had no idea where she got the scroll. I didn't recall seeing it during our time in the forest. Maybe she found it during our time apart, saving it for the perfect time.

Mae had the same questioning look as I did, which was extremely odd.

Hesitantly, she laid the scroll on the floor, opening it. A web of uncertain symbols scattered the paper. They all intertwined towards the center, encircling around a single symbol; the symbol for water.

Mae stroked the parchment, feeling the grooves of cryptic code, ending her fingertips onto the water symbol. With a deep breath, she summoning signs and threw her hand onto the page.

At first, nothing happened and we both stared at the parchment wondering if Mae did something wrong. But, then it happened. The earth began to rumble like there was an earthquake, but what happened next was worse, so much worse.

The two far end walls of the arena began to crack. Water seeped through like a dam that sprang a leak. The pressure was too great and water rushed in.

Mae looked around with shock, quickly glanced at me, and disappeared out of sight. I tried to escape, but it was futile.

"Fuck!"

The water was quickly rising. Any second now, I will be completely submerged in water. Thinking quickly, I concentrated as much energy into the pit of my core and exhaled flames. My lips burned as the water imprisonment fought to keep me its prisoner. The water boiled furiously, allowing me wedge out some, but it wasn't nearly enough. I couldn't heat the water anyone either because it was starting to burn my skin. I would become a human kabob before anything else.

The water level completely covered the surface of the arena and was inches away from my mouth, away from drowning me. I gasped for air and tugged as hard as I could physically muster, but it wasn't enough and gulped my last breathes of air before the water rose above my head.

* * *

Not even thirty seconds had gone by and I felt suffocated. Tugging and pulling under the high pressure of water was worse than anyone could possibly imagine. My lungs were crying, begging for air that I couldn't supply.

Bubbles of air trickled from my lips. I was drowning and didn't know how to save myself. I succumbed to the worse and waited the last painful seconds until the water had successfully taken my life.

If things couldn't get worse, I felt it. The pressure in my chest crying for air wasn't alone. Accompanying it, was _the pain._ That same, gruesome, internal warfare that I have experienced twice before. Once fighting James, and the other just recently in the Forest of Death. Was my body trying to survive or end my suffering faster, I couldn't tell.

I knew oxygen had completely depleted from my lungs, yet I felt my insides bubble. My blood boiled and even though I was in freezing water, the surface of my skin had tiny bubbles escaping. I was being cooked alive.

There wasn't a single cell that escaped from pain, but the worse was in my arms and legs. I wanted to chop off my limbs and drown in peace.

At that final thought, my death wish, my primary instincts told me not to give up even if I so desperately wanted to. Something told me to punch and kick. And I did exactly that, so the pain could cease.

It started with a kick, a heel to the concrete. It was minuscule, but I felt it. The wall was crumbling. I thought I was crazy and did it again, harder. Cracks, bigger ones, formed. It gave my feet more leeway and I kicked like I have never kicked before. Soon the wall was caved in enough that I could use my elbows and then fists.

Through the pain and suffocation, I put the last of my energy into one final fist to the cement. The wall crumbled enough for me to wedge myself out. When my final foot was freed, I pushed off the water prison and soared towards the surface.

I shot up so fast, it threw me for a loop. The water had stopped rushing in and conveniently leveled off where the upper level was. I shot out of the water, grabbed the railing and dragged myself up.

I gasped desperately for air. I sounded like… well a person that almost drowned. My breaths were wheezy and I cough up water.

Mae, she knew I couldn't walk on water. My chakra was lower than others, meaning it was harder for me to concentrate chakra in a specific location, such as my feet. I have gotten better by working on my fire jutsu, being able to concentrate in a large target like my abdomen, but I haven't mastered walking on water. She knew I would be a helpless fool swimming around.

No, not even that. She trapped me to down there to drown.

"Jesus, Mae you almost killed me," I wheezed, leaning over the railing like a sick drunk.

"Quorra!"

My head snapped up. I didn't even realize it. Where I resurfaced was right in front of Naruto and the others.

Team Seven, Team Eight, Team Ten and Team Guy were all taken aback. Some for the fact that I almost drowned, some because they never seen me with my Sharingan eyes, others it was for both.

Team Ten and Sakura were the only ones here who's seen my Sharingan. Kiba's reaction was sickly overwhelming. I've never seen him so petrified. His eyes widen, reaching for me.

Naruto didn't care that I had the Sharingan, he just wanted to help me out of the water. "Quorra!" he yelled again, rushing to help me over the railing. Kiba wanted to assist, but Kakashi held his hand out.

"You can't help her," he said.

"Are you shitting me?" Kiba spat.

Naruto was flabbergasted. "She nearly drowned!"

"He's right, Naruto." It was Hayate, who appeared next to the group. "If you help her in the slightest bit, she'll be disqualified and Mae will automatically be declared winner."

"God fucking dammit! She almost died, she's barely holding on!" Kiba argued.

"I'm okay," I coughed.

"You're kidding me?" Gachero-sensei rebutted, worry was stricken on my sensei's face.

"You need to stop. We need to send you to the infirmary," Sakura said worried.

A sound from the water area got my attention. It was Mae, using her chakra to stand. She escaped unscathed and was dry like fresh laundry. She was shaken; however. That last jutsu must of used up all her chakra. Her mouth hung loosely open, but words didn't escape her lips.

"Let her fight," Kakashi finalized. He never saw my newest power, the Sharingan. I looked at him with my crimson eyes, wet bangs dripping. My reaction was more shocking than his. He looked stern, but he wasn't surprised.

I didn't know what to do. How could I defeat Mae when she turned the arena into an ocean? I was so engulfed in everyone's company, I was suddenly reminded of the pain still present.

I thought back to what Kakashi told me before my fight with Mae:

* * *

**Quorra Hatake vs Mae Muruyama**

My eyes immediately went to Mae. She wasn't as shocked as I was. Maybe she thought this was faith.

"Hey, that's no fair!" Naruto pointed at Hayate. "They're teammates!"

"According to the rule, whoever's name appears on the screen has to fight," Hayate spoke.

"Your rules can blow it up the ass!" Naruto declared.

"That's enough, Naruto," Kakashi spoke. "Do you want them to get disqualified before they even begin?"

Naruto began to rebut. "But, but… gr." He knew it was futile.

"Don't worry," Kakashi-sensei patted Naruto's head as he stared at me. I wished I knew what he was trying to convey. He always looked at me like that, cryptic.

Kiba wasn't at all pleased with the match up as he growled. Mae, who stood beside him, grabbed his hand, spoke distant words, and patted it.

Kakashi shooed everyone, including the angered Kiba and Naruto, to the upper levels. Before the match officially began, Kakashi walked up to me while Gachero-sensei approached Mae.

Kakashi could tell I wasn't taking this well. I was on the verge of having a panic attack.

"Quorra…" he began.

"I can't do it," I fussed. "I can't fight Mae. I refuse."

"Quorra, relax." Kakashi put his hands on my shoulders.

"You don't understand, Kakashi. This isn't just a fight against teammates. Things happened in the forest; words were exchanged, actions." He didn't know about the argument. How I felt my pity was forcing these people to care for me.

Kakashi kept his gentile grip and looked me in the eyes. "Quorra, that's in the past. You have to focus."

"I know," I sighed. "But I don't even think I can win." Mae was very skilled. She had the brains like Sakura and the brawns like Sasuke. How could I defeat that?

"_You _can win," he said. "You just need to _think_. Remember your training, use your surroundings."

I was confused. "But it's just an arena."

"Doesn't matter. Being aware of your surrounds, even an arena, is critical."

I thanked Kakashi and Gachero-sensei approached while Kakashi talked to Mae. Gachero-sensei wished me luck and to try my best. Other words were spoken but honestly, my mind was somewhere else.

"I'll be extra careful." Was all I told him.

* * *

_Use my surroundings._

"Quorra," Kakashi said. Now he too stood uncertain, debating whether he should help me or not.

"Don't worry," I told everyone, especially Kakashi. "I got this."

With every painful cell in my body, I hopped over the railing and ran past them. Mae paralleled me in the water.

Soaked, I ran as fast as I could. Not towards Mae, but rather the hands statue.

Once at the massive hands, I hopped on it. It was easier, I realized. Despite them crying in pain, my legs felt stronger. The leaps were less strenuous. My legs felt like springs.

At the top, I overlooked the arena. Everyone looked puny from up here as they watched me in interest. Gaara and his siblings were curious, straining their necks to see me. Kankuro mumbled something. I could only imagine what _kind _thought he could be thinking. Whatever it was, Temari nodded, agreeing with her brother. Gaara looked at me, challenging me. Interested in what I had up my sleeves.

Mae watched me as well, standing at the base of the statue. I recognized that look, she was using that Mae mind and calculating the infinite amount of moves I could pursuit. But she wasn't the one with the gift of insight.

I was.

Through the pain, I conjured the most amount of chakra and energy I could muster into the pit of my stomach. All the stress, pain, and sadness accumulated. This wasn't to look flashy or prove Mae wrong, this was for me. This was to prove that _I _could fight. That I was strong.

This was for Leda.

When arriving here, I noted how large this place was. The walls soared high and the columns were sturdy, keeping this place standing. There were also beams that strung the ceiling.

I wanted them destroyed.

That moment, I aimed my fire breathing at my target, the ceiling. The flames enjoyed the challenge and caught fire with ease. The fire spread to the whole span of the ceiling. The reflection it created in the water was remarkable. The destruction of fire welcomed by the calming deep blue abyss.

Mae wasn't as awestruck as I was. "Are you crazy?!" Fear struck the kunoichi.

I smirked in reply. _I wasn't done yet._

With my powerful legs, I pushed off the statue. With the Sharingan, I maneuvered around the flames and laid my first punch. Chunks of ceiling crumbled into the ocean below. By digging my nails into the cracks the ceiling formed and using bare strength alone, I held on and chiseled more and more, shocked by my sudden strength. The fire was thrilled, fighting alongside me. Kakashi told me to use my surroundings and that's exactly what I intended to do.

My fist was pulled back to lay another deadly blow when the rushing of water reached my eardrums. Behind me, Mae manipulated the ocean to form a typhoon, a swirling cyclone, and directed it towards the room above. Her hair was wild, sticking to her face as she furiously tried to save the building from being destroyed. A smile reached my face.

The water hit the ceiling, cooling the flames with a sizzle followed by the sound of cracking. It came from the beams who couldn't support the ceiling any longer.

Because they were made of metal.

Everything came tumbling down, including myself. The Sharingan helped me maneuver around the debris, free falling as I skipped between deteriorating chunks. The crash, as expected, created splashes; waves were more like it. Everyone on the outer edge were soaked. Screams filled the air as they moved out of harm's way.

Once everything settled. Many of the large pieces of ceiling floated on top of the water, creating islands.

"Quorra! What are you trying to do, get us killed?" Naruto yelled, shaking his fist. His wet, yellow hair clung flat to his face.

Mae dragged herself out of the water with the help of one of the islands.

"Metal, smart," she said, wringing out her hair. I couldn't help but smile from Mae's compliment, a genius who called me smart.

"The beams that held up the ceiling are made of metal," I spoke. "With metal, when it is heated but then cooled quickly, say like with fire and water, the metal can't take the sudden change of temperature and cracks. That, on top of the ceiling coming down, it was too much. And I needed something to stand on, isn't that right, Mae?"

Everyone was starting to get it. I haven't mastered walking on water so I needed to find another way to fight.

"I used my surroundings," I confirmed, looking at Kakashi. He understood what I've done. "You're not the only one with a few tricks up their sleeve."

Mae was impressed, she couldn't hid it. She assessed the damage us two young kunoichi inflicted on a single arena. It wasn't a simple fix, manipulating the floor to puzzle piece back together, the place was destroyed. The sky above was a pale blue, the signs of an early morning. Who knew?

We stood at a stare off, both completely exhausted as she held her injured arm and I was barely standing. The world didn't feel real anymore. I didn't feel real. I swayed. I didn't know how much more I could take. She wasn't done fighting either.

We charged at each other, hoping over islands. Any islands that were too far apart for me to jump, I used my fire to propel across the gaps. We were hand to hand, clashing our thrown weapons with fury before they sunk to the bottom, never to be seen again.

Our last clash had an aftershock that threw us back. We each luckily skidded onto an island. Neither of us moved.

Naruto and the others were cheering, screaming really, to the both of us. They, as much as we did, wanted the battle to continue. They wanted the battle to be finished and a winner declared.

Slowly, we crawled to our feet. That last skid ripped through my leggings, resulting in black blood to drip onto the island. I was surprised the blood wasn't boiling as I still felt the inferno whirling inside me.

"Quorra…" Mae spoke, softly. Just one look at her said it all, we were at the end.

She performed hand signs. "This is it. This will be our last move so make it a good one."

My head lulled, trying with all my strength to remain standing. The world around me swirled. My eyes could barely focus and the ringing in my ears wasn't helping. I nodded with agreement. "Let's finish this," and followed suit.

I've witnessed it before, Sasuke using the Sharingan to copy another's move, when he copied Rock Lee's techniques. Witnessing someone doing it and you doing it, I learned, were two different things. My crimson eyes followed Mae's hand movements. They were fast, complicated, easy for the Sharingan.

The water started churning around us. We were each the center island of a whirlpool. The jutsu started to take form, into the form of a water dragon. Mae's grew behind her. A furious beast rose from its shallow womb.

My followed suit, rising with just as much fierceness. It was getting to be too much. This jutsu required too much chakra, more than I could have possess, but I persisted. My dragon danced around me, ready to strike.

Simultaneously, we sent our dragons at each other and they collided with a heavy crash. It was a fight between the water gods.

Round two was ready to commence. Mae's dragon waited patiently. My water dragon demanded more power so he could strike down his enemy. I wanted to oblige but the demons within stopped me. The dragons went ahead into another strike.

The pain was too much. I became disconnected with the world around me. All my senses were muddled, except for pain. I dropped to my knees and grabbed my head. I might have been screaming, might have not. Blood sprouted from my nose, coloring the stone black. It felt as if my heart detonated in my chest. I could have been breathing, I could have been dead.

My dragon took the blow as it disintegrated. Mae's dragon was still heading strong and slammed into my body.

That's when everything went black.

* * *

**I entered in a contest on inkitt dot com****/stories/44827 ! If you would like, you can vote for As I Wake. I obviously don't expect nor want to win, but I hope more people can come across Quorra's story and enjoy it like you all have. It's a cover photo of purple lightening. And you never know, you might find a story that catches your eye along the way! Contest is called fandom 2**

**XO**


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **There will be boars on sunny Tuesdays

Thank you for the reviews Paperboy Jacky, the-first-beast, Guest (1) and Guest (2)!

To address some of you:

Paperboy Jacky: I don't know what the Tenseigan is but you should give a crack at writing it. I would like to read it!

Guest (1): I wish I should see the battles in real life too, but alas, they can only be in our minds. It would be cool though!

Special thanks to Natsuki Scarlet, PurpleRawan, Angel Hatake, xxOchibixx, and ShugoYuuki123. You guys always express your thoughts and it's really nice to see what goes on in others' minds!

Happy reading!

* * *

**_Thirty-nine._**

Aftermath.

Rather than my eyes flickering open to see the drowning arena, I was welcomed to stale, white walls and IV drip. That's right, I was in the infirmary.

I knew the battle was over, I lost. I would be lying if I said it didn't sting; no longer eligible to compete in the Chunin exams. Yes, Mae is strong and incredibly gifted, but it was my internal warfare, that was my downfall. As I laid in the hospital bed, what if factors haunted me. What if I didn't have crimpling pain— boiling inside me? Could I have won? But in the end, I knew dwelling wouldn't solve anything. And besides, Mae won, fair and square.

There wasn't much left to say after my water dragon met its demise and Mae's charged straight for me because I can't remember. It had been weeks, three to be exact, since I woke up in the infirmary and been here ever since. No serious injuries; just patching cuts and bruises and supplying me with fluids and food.

I have had a few friendly faces to keep time from stopping, preventing me from ripping out these tubes and hopping out of the closest window. Naruto, for one, was my number one visitor. He was also my number one bragger. Apparently, after mine and Mae's fight, it was Naruto versus Kiba. He told and retold the story, each time getting more dramatic and extreme.

"And my scent ended him! Kiba never saw it coming!" Naruto always ended the story.

When Naruto said 'scent' he meant:

"You farted in his face?" I asked, the first time he told the story, dumbfounded.

Naruto beamed triumphantly. "It was tactile. Being a Dog-Boy meant his sense of smell was a thousand times stronger!"

"You mean tactical?" I gave a brow.

"Same difference," he waved off.

"So you farted and he fainted from the smell?" I confirmed.

"Yup, pretty sweet right?"

_Right, sweet._

Sakura was my number two. Day in and day out she would visit me, sneak me in non-hospital cardboard food, and checked my monitor for any blips. I joked that she would be a great nurse, she didn't find it as amusing. I guess the thought of wearing a nurse outfit was off-putting.

She also filled me in on news from the outside world. More often than not, it was about Sasuke. How she was worried for him. He had been emitted from the infirmary already, or rather, he excused himself. According to Sakura, he disappeared one day and hasn't showed up since, driving the nurses bonkers.

Sasuke had only visited me once. It was one of the first days I was here. I woke up with him hovering over the end of my bed. Bandages still on his face and neck. He was quiet, no news there. But he was there for a reason:

"Your Sharingan, did you use it?" he asked.

I didn't want to lie to him. "Yes."

He breathed in sharply. "So it wasn't a fluke. You're an Uchiha."

Despite how serious he was, I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not an Uchiha."

He tried to convince me, but it was pointless. I knew I wasn't. Well, I didn't _know_ for sure, but I sure as hell didn't feel like one. When I asked him how he was doing, he ignored me and took off. I haven't seen him since.

Others have stopped by. Hinata stopped by to thank me for pushing her to fight her cousin. I told her I was just glad she was alright. Shikamaru and Choji had visited me, too.

Who hadn't was Mae and Kiba, not once. I understood, Mae and I were still on shaky terms and Kiba was beating himself over the three beautiful scars I have on my cheek because of him. I joked with Naruto that we were twins, granted mine were shorter, just on the outer half of my cheek. Naruto grinned at the thought.

I wasn't mad at Kiba and wished I could leave to tell him. I knew he didn't mean to hurt me.

There was one other person; however, who hadn't visit me. Kakashi, my guardian angel; the one who worried about every step I took. And for the life of me, I can't figure out why or where he has been. Sakura doesn't know either. Both her sensei and teammate have vanished. I could tell how abandoned she felt and figured that was why she visited me so often.

Sakura also informed me who was going forward to the final rounds besides Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, Gaara, and Mae. Shikamaru—no surprises there—Temari, Kankuro and Shino. She explained the next step, the final rounds of the Chunin. After the preliminaries, each winner drew a slip of paper that held a number and read it aloud. The numbers determined who each contestant would be up against.

Naruto was against Neji, which I knew already. It was another thing Naruto never shutted up about. Sasuke was against Gaara. Shivers ran down my spine when she told me that. We both have seen how Gaara fought.

Mae was against Kankuro. I had no idea how he fought, but if he was anything like his younger brother, he's strong.

In one month, currently days away, they were to perfect old and develop new techniques for the final rumble. According to Sakura, you don't have to win the battle to become Chunin. It was judged on how that contestant possessed and executed their techniques. All nine could become Chunin, or none can.

Sakura have explained and updated everything to me, but never about what happened after the world went dark for me. No one did. Not even Naruto, who I asked many times. They either ignored me or segued to another topic of conversation.

I have been well enough to leave for days now. Holding me back was the thing that always haunted me, my past. Usually the doctors would only take a few hours to conduct the tests, but this time, for some reason, they have held me captive longer.

A gentile knock tapped my door and I told them to come it. It was my nurse; the same nurse I've had since day one.

"Hey, Sweetheart," she said in her notorious southern twang. "How you feeling today?"

"Like I'm ready to go home, Sheva." We have seen each other so much, we address each other by our first name. "How's the family?"

"Oh, you know Ripley, always creating some kind of havoc," she laughed, but quickly her grin turned into a frown of confusion. Her being anything besides happy was unusual. She smiled when her purse was stolen once, said that thing was old and bunkered anyway— whatever that meant.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She quickly peered over her shoulders and quietly shut the door. She sat at the edge of my bed. "I probably shouldn't be saying this," she whispered. "But, they have been holding you here like a sweating boar on a sunny Tuesday because they found something unusual."

My brow peaked with curiosity and it wasn't because of the incomprehensible boar metaphor. "What do you mean?"

"Shh," she shushed. "One of the tests came back irregular. Apparently, Doctor Carter told Nurse Hope who told Nurse Bishop who told me that your net chakra reservoir has increased."

Nurse Sheva was always a gossiper. She was always rambling about her church group and who did what to who. When she told gossip though, she was ecstatic, always excited to tell me like it was a secret for the two of us. This time, she was as serious as I have ever seen her.

"That's not normal?" I asked.

"No, Sweetheart. That's very not normal. Net chakra can increase slightly as you tap into your spirit and train, but your network has nearly doubled."

I gasped. It felt like I had a frog in my throat. I could barely croak out the words, "Why wouldn't they tell me?"

Nurse Sheva could see the concern I had and patted my hand. "It's alright, Sweetheart. It is probably just a fluke. They are just taking precautions."

Even though kind, it didn't help my uneasiness. _What could this mean? What could any of this mean?"_

"On the bright side," she said, chipper. "They are releasing you today! And someone wanted to walk you out."

"Really? Who?"

Before she could reply, the door opened. It was sensei.

"Oh there you are, Gachero-Sensei," Nurse Sheva said, flustered. "I was just telling Quorra you would be escorting her out today."

I was surprised to see it was Gachero-Sensei, even though shouldn't have been. He visited every few days to see how I was holding up. He gave us his signature pearlescent smile. I knew why Nurse Sheva was flustered. Gachero-Sensei was a good looking guy. He had dark blue eyes you could trust. Nurse Sheva also had a crush on him, even if she could have been his mother. It was nothing serious, mainly fun as she tended to whistle at him from afar, an ongoing joke. I think she does it to make me smile. It works.

Nurse Sheva helped detached all the machinery and I was good to go.

**ξ**

"So, Quorra," Gachero-Sensei said as he was signing me out at the front desk. "How do you feel about a Ramen celebration?"

I smiled at my sensei, playing with the sleeve of my clothes, happy I was out of those hospital gowns. "Actually, Sensei. I'm not ready to leave. There's someone I want to visit first."

Gachero-Sensei rose his perfectly shaped brows. "Who?" he asked, before it hit him. I nodded, affirmatively.

_Lee._

**ξ**

The nurse at the front desk informed us Rock Lee was in the East wing. Gachero-Sensei and I approached the room to see it wide open. Inside, the bed was empty.

"Where'd he go?" I asked.

"There." Gachero-Sensei pointed to the commotion outside his window. Sakura, Ino and a nurse were standing around Lee who was on the ground.

"Lee!" I gasped and we ran outside.

In the courtyard, I realized Lee wasn't hurt as I initially feared. He was doing push-ups.

"200 push-ups, that was the deal," Lee told himself. One of his arms was in a sling. "If you cannot finish them, then it's 100 leg squats so come on. 196…"

"Lee, you shouldn't be out of bed!" his nurse gasped.

"197…" He ignored her as sweat dripped from his face, creating a puddle below him.

"Lee, please," the nurse bent down to help her patient.

"No!" Lee yelled. "Please, let me…finish my training." His elbows shook as he pushed himself up.

"198…"

Sakura and Ino looked at Lee grimly. I understood their sorrow. Like the medic said during the preliminaries, Lee's shinobi days were over. His injures were too great. It broke my heart, too.

"199…" Lee panted. I couldn't believe he was able to withstand this much. "Don't count me out. I am not through yet."

His only free arm bent to perform another push-up. It bellowed like a overloaded wagon. "One more, just one more," he spoke through gritted teeth.

"Lee…" My heart went out for him, deeply desiring to help him back into his room so he could rest. But I knew what staying here can do to a person. A prisoner of dreams. Me.

He screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground. The others cried out for him.

"Watch him," the nurse rolled him over, panicked. "I'll get a stretcher." We complied.

Lee was passed out cold. His mouth hung open and hair clung to his sweat. It was crushing to witness. We all knew how hard he worked to be where he was today. It wasn't fair.

In her hands, Sakura held a single flower, a daffodil. I recognized the flower because she gave me one as well. It sat at my end table and brightened my day. Whenever it wilted, she would supply a new one.

"Why, why Ino. What makes boys like that? They are always pushing it too far," Sakura asked, sadly kneeling besides Lee.

Ino's mouth twisted. "Why ask me? I'm not a boy," she spoke with venom, but she felt it, too. Helplessness.

I gently plucked the flower from Sakura's hand. "Because the boys we care about all have the same goal. They want to be the strongest," I said, somber.

I tucked the flower into Lee's unconscious hand and rested them both on his chest. "And Lee is no exception. The daffodil symbolizes new beginnings. He will have his new beginning and will be a great shinobi again one day. It's up to us to help him get there."

The three nodded. It wasn't much, knowing what the doctors tell us, but it brought our broken spirits up.

"Of course he will," Gachero-Sensei confirmed with his smile. His tanned, muscular arms picked up the unconscious boy and together we walked towards his room.

We all deserved a rebirth.

**ξ**

Gachero-Sensei and I said our goodbyes to Ino and Sakura, who were happy someone was able to leave the hospital without sneaking out like Sasuke did. It meant things could maybe look up from here.

We ventured towards the market. Entering the marketplace felt like I never left. It was bustling with loud barters and talkative villagers, even this early in the day.

"So, Quorra," Gachero-Sensei began. "Anything new pop-up during the hospital tests?"

I wasn't ready to share my newest information with him; needed time to process it.

"No? Why you ask?" I gave him a critical look.

Gachero-Sensei thought nothing of it. "I was just curious. They probe and poke you so often. I was hoping maybe they would find something so they can stop."

My intense look eased. Gachero-Sensei was an important figure in my life. Obviously he cared about my well-being.

"Hopefully soon," I lied.

Gachero-Sensei nodded, staring off at the infamous elderly couple bickering. The elderly woman was scolding her husband on how they couldn't buy a pet because she took care of him – like a pet— already. I couldn't help but smile.

"What about your past then? Anything jogging in that noggin?" He tapped his temple.

"Any form of memory I have is a dream so I can never tell if it just that. A dream." I sighed.

"I see," Gachero-Sensei said. "What are in your dreams?"

I wanted to question his integrity, but thought against it and told him. The visions of imprisonment, green eyes and red themed items. I left out my hypothesis that Gaara was the one in my dream. That was something I needed to find out on my own.

Gachero-Sensei absorbed the information like a sponge, interested in my visions.

"I wished I could help. I feel useless," Gachero-Sensei sighed.

"It's not your fault, Sensei. Things will look up," I smiled, sadly.

Gachero-Sensei nodded, but it still bothered him. He was responsible for Team Thirteen. "I know… I just wished I could help you."

He gave me a contemplating look. "Maybe there is something I could do…"

"What do you mean?" I rose a brow.

"There's an ANBU technique we were trained to use to extract information out of our enemies. I could technically try it on you, but…"

"But, what?" I asked, too curious than I wanted to admit.

"But…" his mouth twisted. "The method is ethnically debated. It's very risky, both in results and your health."

_In my health? _I couldn't imagine what he was referring too. ANBU kept their identities and actions hush hush. You only knew someone was ANBU when they retired from the organization. Enrollees wore animal-featured masks to keep their identity a secret.

He took my wordless reply to heart. "You don't have to, of course! I wouldn't blame you in the least, but understand that I can't go into details unless you were to go through with it. It is completely your decision."

I was against the thought of doing something I had no prior knowledge of. He requested to mentor Team Thirteen to give us a chance and with Leda gone and Mae and I in limbo, there wasn't much left to mentor. We're all broken.

"I'll think about it, thank you." He felt guilty, I knew that.

Gachero-Sensei sensed how flustered he became and calmed. "Right, good." He avoided further discussion of the topic. "So what are your plans on your first day of freedom?"

I knew what I wanted to do. Well, felt I had to do.

"Going to pay a visit to Hokage-sama," I replied.

Gachero-Sensei was taken aback. "The Hokage? Were you requested?"

I shook my head. "No, but I want to talk to him about something."

Gachero-Sensei looked like he wanted to push on the issue, but thought against it. "Alright," he smiled. "Need an escort?"

I declined his offer. "I need to do this on my own. Thanks for accompanying me out of the hospital."

He looked unsure, but in the end said, "It was my pleasure," with his warmest smile yet.

**ξ**

Saying goodbye to Sensei, I went to visit the Hokage. Even though Nurse Sheva told me in secret, I was going to tell the Hokage about the newest findings with my net chakra. As I wished to keep the secret from others, I don't want to keep it from him. I was a firm believer of the truth eventually coming out of the wood grains. It would look bad if the doctors got to him before I could.

I took a deep breath to calm my bubbling nerves.

"Hokage-sama?" I called, knocking on the door. The old door creaked open.

I stuck my head in. No one was there. Opening the door fully, I waltzed inside.

_That's funny. I never seen the Hokage _not _here, _I thought.

His office was clean as usual, except for the endless piles of papers on his desk. I couldn't fathom why he didn't have an assistant.

I stealthily hovered over the desk, casually glancing at the mountains. Words like _taxes_ and _policies_ stood out on the documents. I knew I shouldn't have been snooping and went to turn away when something rather odd, caught my attention.

In the center of the desk was a manila folder with a red **TOP SECRET **stamp.

My stomach flipped. My immediate thoughts clashed to thinking the file was about me, explaining my recent results and who knows what else. _Has he read it yet? Should I read it? Could I?_

"How are you child?" called a voice behind me.

Surprised, I jolted alert and turned. The Third stood behind me with a cup of steaming tea in his hand. He greeted me with a friendly smile, making my face turn shades of deeper red, embarrassed I was caught snooping.

"Ah, I was— I wasn't snooping, ah!" I jumbled, making the situation worse.

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama," hanging my head in defeat.

He nodded with acknowledgement and took a seat. His tea rested on the desk as swirls of steam escaped the smooth brown surface.

"Is there something you need child?" The Hokage asked.

Mesmerized, I snapped out of my trance. "Huh, yeah…"

I tried to spew the words, but they stuck in my throat. "Nurse Sheva told me that my net chakra increased, but she wasn't supposed to tell me because the other doctors didn't want me to know." I spat out. Then, I quickly realized that outing Nurse Sheva could get her into trouble. "But don't blame Nurse Sheva! She was just trying to help!"

The Third scratched his goatee like he normally does whenever he was in thought. "It increased did it? Well, that's normal since you have been training so much, especially with someone as young as you."

I hung head low, avoiding his eyes. "But, it has nearly doubled."

I could hear his breath stop short, deepening my shame. Even the Hokage knew no amount of training could result in that, in less than a year's time.

"I wanted to tell you before someone else did," I mumbled, praying he wouldn't kick me out for this.

He placed his wrinkly hand on the red lettered folder I was eyed before and slid it behind a stack of papers, out of sight.

The Hokage cleared his throat. "Right, thank you for telling me, Quorra. I'm sure the doctors will find an explanation for this."

"You're not upset?" I asked, surprised.

"Upset? Of course not child. You can't help not knowing your past."

I sighed with relief. A weight was lifted off my shoulders. Just because I was a case number, he doesn't treat me less.

The Hokage studied my face. "But that's not the only thing that's bothering you," he said, accusatively.

It wasn't until he mentioned it did I realize he was right. Something else was bothering me, engraved deep into my being, fearing the foundation was my life would be built on this accusation. Even now, I thought this was the case as the Hokage wasn't negatively affected by my bizarre chakra network.

"Lord Hokage, do people pity me?" He was one of the many people who have helped me stay in the village despite all odds and allowed me to attempt becoming Chunin.

He rose a bushy brow, scrutinizing me. "Who told you that?"

My eyes quickly left his as I stared awkwardly away, wishing I didn't bring it up.

He wasn't going to let this go. "Was it Mae?" he asked, as if reading my mind.

He wasn't dumb. He and all the other jonin and genin saw my battle with Mae. Excluding the beginning, we fought like enemies. There was a deep, underline reason for the way we treated each other. It didn't take someone as wise and knowledgeable as the Hokage to figure that out.

My wordless reply answered the Hokage's question.

"I see," he stroked his goatee again. "That's hurtful to say to someone, especially if it's your own teammate."

_You can say that again, _I thought.

"The girl has been through a lot," the Hokage informed. "And if there's one thing that this old man has learned through years of experience, it's that things aren't always as they seem. Unless you know her side, you don't know the whole story."

I never thought of it like that. I assumed Mae and I were very open with each other; telling each other our thoughts and feelings. We were around each other so much, displaying and discovering one another. _What was the Hokage implying?_ I thought. _Was there something Mae never told me?_

"But just to clarify, child," he interrupted my train of thought. "I would have _never_ allowed you to stay in the village out of pity."

I couldn't help my mouth from hanging open. "Then, why would you let me stay?"

The Third studied me closely, examining my awestruck persona. It made me feel so small against such a big, momentous figure like him.

"Before I officially met you, the girl Kakashi spoke so highly of, I didn't know what to expect. My first reaction, as Hokage, was to send you to isolation— study you until I knew you weren't a threat." The Hokage paused, as if trying to find the right string of words to continue with.

"But when you walked into this office for the first time, there was something in your eyes that I saw in myself when I was younger."

With the millions of questions to the endless possibilities, "What did you see?"

The Hokage's studying expression turned happy, as if finally knowing what words to say.

"The need to change the world."

"Hokage-sama," the words caught in my throat. His eyes twinkled with satisfaction.

"Grandfather!" boomed a voice at the door, disturbing the moment.

"What is it, Konohamaru?" The Third sighed.

The energetic boy ran to his grandfather. "Naruto won't play ninja with me," Konohamaru whined. "Can't you order him to play with me? You're the leader!"

"You know I can't, grandson," the Third spoke like that wasn't the first time this was requested.

"Oh, come on!" Konohamaru said, exacerbated.

"He's busy training for the finals, Konohamaru," I added.

"Yeah, yeah," the boy said, condescendingly. "All he does is brag about the Chunin exams and his new instructor."

I've heard Naruto mention this once— well, several times before. He called his trainer Pervy Sage, but whenever I would give him a questioning look, he would rush to explain that despite the nickname, the guy was the real deal.

"Wait a minute," Konohamaru realized. "Quorra, why are you here? Is grandfather bothering you again?"

Surprised at the accusation, I laughed it off. "No, no, huh- Lord Hokage was just—"

"I was just telling Quorra a good way to release tension was to do something creative like drawing or writing. It's a good way of clearing unsure thoughts," the Hokage brushed over. He gave me a wink.

"Hmm," Konohamaru pondered this, rubbing his chin like his grandfather does. "Yeah, makes sense to me," he concluded.

"Naruto is at the hot springs. Why don't you pay a visit, Quorra?" The Hokage requested, quickly switching the subject.

I got the hint. "Sure, that sounds like a good idea." I bowed to the Third before heading out of the office.

"Hey! Me, too. I'm coming too!" Konohamaru yelled.

"Not so fast. Iruka-Sensei tells me you haven't been doing your homework, so we're going to work on it _together_." The Hokage can't order Naruto to play, but as a grandfather, he can tell his grandson to do work.

"Oh, man!" Konohamaru cried.

**ξ**

As Hokage-sama promised, Naruto was at the hot springs. Even though the Hokage sent me here, I was going to find him anyway. It was exciting to have someone from Team Asanoha in the finals and I wanted to give the crazy blonde my support.

Naruto was standing on the water, or at least trying to. He wobbled like he was balancing on a rolling barrel.

"Hey, Naruto!" I greeted with a smile.

"Wha-?!" Naruto lost his concentration and fell into the springs with a splash.

I tried not to laugh. "Sorry!" I apologized.

"Quorra! You're out of the hospital!" Naruto cheered, climbing out of the water. He wrung his black T-shirt.

"Yeah, got discharged this morning," I explained. "I wanted to check up on you and your big training. Konohamaru told me how great your new teacher is."

Naruto rolled his eyes by the sound of Konohamaru's name. "That pest won't butt out! He doesn't understand how important I now am!" Naruto bragged. This time it was me who rolled their eyes.

"So where's this Big Shot instructor then?"

Naruto cocked his head in wonder. "Yeah, where is that Pervy Sage? HEY, PERVY SAGE, WHERE ARE YOU?!" he screamed into cuffed hands, paying no mind he was in a public place.

It was then we heard the sound of screaming girls and someone jumping out of a bush.

"Naruto! You're blowing my cover, don't you know I'm trying to research here!" The man spoke.

I realized it before he did. When his eyes connected with mine, they were saucers. His face became pale and turned to stone, freezing his red tattooed lines in place. His long, grey hair end stood on end.

I couldn't miss that face anywhere, no matter how hard I tried to block the misfortunate incident at the hot springs.

"FUCK, IT'S YOU!" we screamed and pointed simultaneously.

* * *

**A change in pace. It's been a while since we had a non-fighting battle.**

**Theory storming time! Why do you think Quorra has such a sudden change in net chakra? Is the TOP SECRET folder about her?**

**Also, what do you think the method Gachero-Sensei is referring to? Will Quorra go through with it?**

**What was your favorite part of the chapter?!**

**Until next time!**

**xoxo**

**PS. As I Wake has a milestone of 200 followers and 150 favorites! WOO!**


	40. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

**Warning: **Quorra and Jiraiya met once again and they are not happy!

**As always, thank you so much- why arent i dead yet, Angel Hatake, xxOchibixx, Paperboy Jacky, Guest (1), ShugoYuuki123, ZabuzasGirl, Kawaii Kunai, Guest (2), and Jemmy for the kind reviews!**

**why arent i dead yet- **thank you and xxOchibixx for pointing out the error. I knew it was ANBU but when I say it aloud I pronounce it AMBU, oops.

**xxOchibixx-** Mae did cheat with Gachero's scroll, but Quorra doesn't know that. We'll have to wait and see if the truth comes out!

**Guest (1)-** Those are great theories and love when people share their theories. A few people have brought up the "experiment" theory. Hopefully Quorra will get the truth soon.

**Jemmy-** There's plenty more of that, enjoy!

Happy Reading!

* * *

**Chapter Forty: Unwanted Company**

My jaw as never dropped so low in my life; the audacity before my very eyes.

Pervy Sage, the "Great" Toad Sage, Jiraiya.

By the looks of it, Jiraiya wasn't too keen on seeing me either. He wore a face as if seeing his mother for the first time in twenty years and he had forgotten to write.

"_The creeper._" I was exacerbated. The ladies on the other side of the fence quieted down to listen.

"Quiet!" Jiraiya hushed. "You're going to ruin my research!"

_RESEARCH?! _I saw red.

"This OLD,

DECREPIT,

FUCKING

PEEPING TOM

is your _trainer_!?" I practically megaphoned at Naruto and anyone in a two-mile radius.

If the women weren't freaked out before, they certainly were now. A stampede of feet could be heard as they got their towels and rushed to the locker room.

"My ladies!" Jiraiya cried as he clawed at the fence to view his last glimpsed at their backsides.

Naruto didn't know what the make of the situation. "Wait just a second, you two know each other?"

Jiraiya and I froze in our tragic moments and became beets. We witnessed each other's faces ombre from peach to red.

"Oh, we know each other alright," Jiraiya confirmed, sarcastically. "Bare ass and all—"

"Don't you dare, Jiraiya!" I warned. It was horrifying enough to have experienced this in the first place, and in front of Team Eight, Leda, and Mae. But I would rather take Jiraiya to his grave before he revealed this to anyone else.

"So you don't know each other?" the blonde scratched his head. Bless Naruto's soul and his inability to put two and two together.

I pinched the bridge of my nose with frustration. "We've met before," I explained. "It wasn't the greatest encounter."

_That was sugar coating it._

Jiraiya huffed with agreeance. "You can say that again. My manhood is forever scarred."

I growled at him. _Growled._

"Where's Kakashi?" I snapped at Naruto. "Why isn't he training you?"

Naruto was now the one growling. "Don't know. He just told me he couldn't train me and took off." He crossed his arms and pouted distastefully.

_So he doesn't know where Kakashi is either, _I calculated.

"So you picked this freak to be your mentor, instead?" I thumbed towards the pervert.

"Hey!" Jiraiya yelled. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Yeah, he scared off my first mentor and now he's obligated to help me not fuck-up. He may be a porn addict, but he's actually really strong!" Naruto finalized.

_Of course he is,_ I thought, rolling my eyes.

"Why is it always the perverted ones that become teachers?" I mumbled to myself, thinking of Shiri-Sensei and the academy.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing!"

Naruto, being the giftedly dense child thought nothing about it.

Jiraiya didn't want me in his presence as much as I did. "Alright, you heard Naruto, he has _lots _of training to do. Better be off then!" He shooed.

"Hey, Quorra! Why don't you join me? I could use some teammate competition." Naruto gave his signature goofy smile, like nothing could be wrong with the world and its perverts.

"No, no," Jiraiya answered. "I'm sure she's much too busy to be hanging around here—"

"I'd love to!" I answered, giving Jiraiya a menacing smile. If he doesn't want my presence, then my presence he will get.

Naruto cheered obliviously while Jiraiya groaned. He was both out of luscious women to conduct "research" on and presented with a girl who liked to take revenge.

"So, Naruto. Why don't you explain to me what Jiraiya-_sama_ has been teaching you," I spoke, oversweet, smiling at his newest mentor.

Naruto threw his fist into his palm. "Right! Believe it!"

He guided me to the edge of the springs.

"I'm practicing the walk on water technique!" Naruto instructed. "First you build up chakra at your feet 'cause that's what touches the water. Then, you think about discharge because that's somehow important. And finally, you take a step and—

Before he could explain more, his foot went straight through and the rest followed behind. I tried not to laugh, covering my mouth and nodding deep in thought on his lecture.

Naruto wasn't as amused. "Damn it! Why can't I do it?"

What Naruto was trying to explain, but wasn't quite hitting the mark, was that in order to walk on water, one must concentrate chakra to their feet because that's the point that contacts with the water. Once you step foot on the water's surface, one has to constantly steady the rate of discharge because water was a moving surface. Too much or too little chakra given on any point of contact will throw the person off. AKA ending up like Naruto.

It was the same idea as the time Kakashi was testing my abilities and one of tasks was to walk up a tree. In that case, it would be easier because the trunk was a solid, non-momentum object— not like I could perform either.

Naruto pursued it again. This time he managed to not sink to the bottom. He moved like a baby taking his first steps across the water.

"Come on, Quorra! Give it a try!"

I stared questioningly at my feet. There was a time when Gachero-Sensei taught, or at least try to teach, Team Thirteen to walk on water. Mae, obviously, took to it with ease, running around the pond with excitement. Besides her excellent chakra control, she had an affiliation with water. Leda's attempt was aligned with Naruto's. She at first couldn't do it, but after determination and a mouthful of curses later, she walked like a drunk, but she could do it.

As they played and celebrated over unsolid ground, that left me behind. I was so bad, I couldn't even place a toe in the water without slipping under. No amount of determination was improving it either. Gachero-Sensei tried to comfort me by explaining that low amounts of chakra was harder to concentrate. This was because the less one possesses, the less of a chance one has to waste it. One had to be extremely efficient.

Naruto was doing well because, despite his failed attempts to use his chakra efficiently, he had an absurd amount so it hardly affected him. Granted, he had a long way to go.

With my recent disappointments, I wasn't sure if I was up to this. I wasn't overly found with showing Jiraiya how incompetent I was either. But I knew the only way I was going to learn was to try and try again. This will be my first training for the Chunins next year.

I hesitantly took off my leather jacket, closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I tried to imagine the chakra flowing within me, keeping me alive. Filled with secrets from before my time.

"Come on, Quorra, try it!" Naruto called from the waters.

My hands were in a boar sign as I tried to concentrate the chakra to the soles of my feet. I opened my eyes and saw the waving of the transparent springs, beckoning me to join. Anticipating the hot springs could potentially burn my flesh.

"Believe it!" Naruto yelled. "You can do—

But he stopped mid-sentence. His mouth stopped and his eyes stared as we couldn't believe what he was seeing. Honestly neither was I. Below me, I saw the refection of myself. My bright green eyes reflected on the water like a mermaid was below me. My brown wavy hair surrounding the half-human, half-fish creature like seaweed on a descending day. The mermaid smiled at me, my smile.

I was standing on water!

I tried to take my first step, anticipating how difficult the task would be with the prior knowledge mechanics, but the opposite happened. My first step was solid, effortless. Like I was walking on solid land. With the first came the second, and then third. I couldn't believe this. Was I dreaming?

Jiraiya was watching me, scrutinizing.

"You did it! Yahoo!" Naruto jumped before remembering he was over water and lost his concentration in a big splash. The aftermath waves threw me off balance and sunk into the water with a splash as well.

We were both laughing when we resurfaced.

"Damn, we were so close," Naruto growled and together we crawled out of the springs, soaked.

"Almost," I smiled, trying to contain my overexcitement.

"Almost isn't good enough for the finals," Naruto ripped his black tee off and threw it on the ground with a heavy, wet plop.

_How was this possible?_ I couldn't even step a toe in before and now, on my first attempt, I could stand on water. Was it not a fluke then as Nurse Sheva initially thought? Did my net chakra really increase?

Naruto was having a hissy fit so Jiraiya stepped in.

"Enough, Naruto." He sat beside the agitated boy. "Build up chakra again."

Naruto snapped out of his episode. "Alright, yeah."

He clapped his hands into place and concentrated, closing his eyes like I did.

"Wow," Jiraiya said.

Naruto lifted a brow, wondering if Jiraiya had some tips. Maybe Jiraiya was a useful mentor after all.

"You have zero excess fat. How do you do it?" Jiraiya poked at the boy's abdomen.

Our curious faces quickly segued to anger.

"You're supposed to help him," I complained. "Not suck a major—"

"Do you mind? I'm trying to concentrate here!" Naruto scolded.

Jiraiya and I turned red. "Right, sorry." He smiled guilty. "Go ahead, please."

"Jerk," Naruto huffed with annoyance and tried again. This time as he wasn't disturbed.

As he concentrated his chakra, a black swirled tribal sun meld onto his skin. I've seen it before, the same tattoo design when Naruto was fighting Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. I was hopeful that what I witnessed then was my eyes playing tricks on me or maybe a combination of dehydration and high-level stress obscuring my vision. But, seeing it reappear now crushed my hopefulness.

I stared questioningly at Jiraiya, praying he would have answers. Naruto didn't have the tattoo a few minutes ago when he took his wet shirt off. It only appeared when he started using his chakra.

Also, his eyes weren't red, but that doesn't mean his eyes could become red soon. That he would be engulfed into this destructive beast once more.

Instinctually, I took a step back, then another. After the third step I caught myself. My brain was telling me there was danger; that I'd seen this before and it led to unhuman-like destruction. My brain was trying to protect me, telling me to run. It didn't want me to go through similar events that occurred in the Forest of Death.

Jiraiya placed his hands on the boy's markings and studied it, tracing the swirl of the sun's center, the rays, and five small round disks that circumference the image.

"Hey, quit it, Old Man. Can't you see I'm trying to concentrate here?" Naruto giggled at Jiraiya's touch.

But, my heart stopped me; reminding me that this was Naruto. We weren't in the forest anymore; we were no longer in danger. Naruto doesn't understand what was happening to him and it was up to me to help him.

The comment made Jiraiya's stare sterner, both of us in wonder. I wanted to ask a million questions but kept quiet in hopes they would soon be answered.

After satisfied with his investigation, Jiraiya nodded with finality and stood up.

"Alright, Naruto. Arms up," he commanded.

Naruto didn't understand what was going on. "Huh?"

"Come on, come on. We don't got all day," Jiraiya complained. "It's just a trust exercise."

Naruto listened to Jiraiya and threw his arms up, looking innocent. His eyes were still blue.

Jiraiya had his hand behind his back. When he brought it forward, each of his five fingertips were exuding chakra.

"Five prong release," and he thrusted his hand into Naruto's abdomen.

The young shinobi sailed backwards. The five small disks that were around the sun disappeared before the rest of the tribal markings disappeared behind it.

"Hey, what was that for!" Naruto yelled, rubbing his blank stomach.

Jiraiya waved him off. "That was nothing! I was just releasing a pressure point. Go try it now."

Naruto mumbled words of annoyance and tried once more. Once he concentrated his chakra, he took a hesitative step into the spring. He jolted with the assumption he would slip under, but he held afloat. One step turned to two as he ran across the spring.

"Yahoo!" He cheered. "You see that! I did it! I don't know what you did to me, but it worked!"

Naruto danced, jumped and twirled on top of the water. I was amazed to see the sudden shift in improvement.

"What did you do?" I asked, Jiraiya. He studied my face, trying to read how much I knew, unsure.

"Will it endanger him?" I asked.

"For now, no," he answered, truthfully. "That seal is a six hexagram. On top of it was a five prong seal. An odd on top of an even was why his chakra control was out of whack."

I knew Orochimaru put the Five Prong Seal on Naruto. _Was he responsible for the hexagram, too? To hide his powers?_

I touched my abdomen thinking of all the possibilities.

"Don't worry. It's not contagious," he laughed.

"That's not what I'm worried about," I spoke softly, watching Naruto continue to celebrate.

_I'm worried about what I don't know._

**ξ**

By the time Naruto was done showing off, the sun was on its way to set.

"Alright, that's enough for today," Jiraiya gestured.

"What? What a minute, no way! I'm not ready yet. You said you would teach me some killer technique later if I mastered the walking on water technique. I'm just getting started, believe it!" Naruto preached.

"Your training is like cooking. You can't wash a boiling pot. We'll continue tomorrow!" And just like that, he was gone.

"ARGH, damn that Pervy Sage," Naruto threw himself on the ground with annoyance.

Jiraiya may be perverted, but he knew what was happening to Naruto and I was going to get to the bottom of it to find out what.

* * *

**Sorry this wasn't a long chapter. The next series of events are very important and it wouldn't have flowed nicely unless I stopped it here. But! I thought to make it up, I would do something different. I drew how I perceived Quorra to look if you would like to check it out (Instagram username: Christianaaah). You don't need an account to view it.**

** Does she look similar than what you imagined? Different? If you guys like this idea, I could do this for my other OCs whenever I have a short chapter. If so, who would you like to see next?**

**Until next time!**

**xo **


	41. Chapter 41

**If you haven't seen, I drew my depiction of Quorra. (IG:christianaaah)**

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

Thank you for the reviews you amazing people!- Angel Hatake, Paperboy Jacky, Guest, xxOchibixx, Kawaii Kunai, Jemmy, and Carri007

Kawaii Kunai: thank you so much, it means a lot to me!

Carri007: I'm also curious about those things! We'll have to find out.

This is a bit late, but I think to is the longest chapter I've ever written so enjoy!

Happy reading!

Ps. To the Guest who commented on my other story _Leda_ asking where is chapter 2. It's coming! I said in November I was going to write a lot but I ended up putting my efforts into planning for this story. It's driving me crazy I haven't gotten to it because I love Leda and I feel too that story could be great. Thank you for your interest even after all this time!

* * *

**Chapter Forty-One: Murdering the Stars**

At the crack of dawn the next day I stood at the entrance of the woods at the northern end of Konoha. Beyond the tree line was a shallow river that flowed throughout the forest where I would be meeting up with Naruto and that perverted Old Man, Jiraiya.

Naruto invited me to come along, but in all honestly, I would have joined him whether he did or not. Yesterday was a shock for myself, but seeing that weird marking again was alarming. I needed to know if he was safe, and Jiraiya seemed to know the answers.

Entering the forest, I searched for them. Hopefully Jiraiya wasn't known for being late, unlike a silver-haired shinobi I countlessly had to deal with.

The sound of laughter caught my attention and among searching for a source, I found a group of girls hanging out at the riverside and splashing in the river. The girls were happy and careless. It struck a hard cord in my heart wishing it could be Mae and Leda instead.

The sounds of a deep chuckle drew my attention away from the blissful girls. There he was, head first in a bush. I coughed distastefully.

Jiraiya jumped back in shock. "Oh, it's just you," he grumbled. I rolled my eyes from the warm welcome.

"Is Naruto not here yet?" I asked the peeper.

He replied with a short no and stuck his head back into the bush. I slumped onto the forest floor; my back turned from the girly scene.

"Are you two teammates?" Jiraiya asked after a while, still focusing on his 'research'.

"Yes and no," I replied. An eye arch later and I explained to him about Team Seven and Team Asanoha, leaving out the details of Leda and Mae's whereabouts. That was too painful for words.

"I see…" Jiraiya pondered. "Naruto has spoken highly of you."

_Really? _"Naruto and I have been through a lot together," I smiled sadly.

Many thoughts clouded my mind, so many unanswered questions, especially about Naruto. I didn't want to bombard Jiraiya but I didn't know what to ask him first.

But one thought stuck out to me, more than the others.

"Jiraiya…"

"Hmm..?" He turned from his research to consult me.

I stared into his eyes, prepared to read his face when I asked, "Why are you helping Naruto?"

Jiraiya wasn't surprised by my forward question. In fact, I couldn't read anything from him.

"The same reasons you are," he responded full of determination.

Before I could respond, our loudmouth ninja arrived to start the day.

"Ready to watch me kick ass?!" Naruto yelled. He was always the most energetic in the morning. The boy woke up like a bat out of hell.

There must have been a look of discomfort on my face because Naruto skidded to a halt with a weird expression.

"Hey Old Man! Are you being pervy in front of Quorra!?" he pointed.

I smiled at the boy. He didn't know how to ask a question quietly.

"Sit down, Naruto," Jiraiya ignored his accusation.

Naruto wasn't convinced until I patted the dirt floor besides me. With a huff, he joined.

"So Naruto," Jiraiya began the conversation. "Out of curiosity, have you ever felt the presence of a different chakra?" Jiraiya asked, sitting across from us in a circle. I thought it was a rather odd question to ask.

Naruto pondered. "Well, I'm not sure… Oh, wait. I do kinda remember there was this one time. I had this weird upsurge of energy and I didn't know where it came from."

Jiraiya nodded with interest. I knew Naruto was referring to our time in the Forest of Death, when he fought Orochimaru and again when he saved us from the bloodthirsty mutated monkeys.

Naruto sat in clueless wonder while Jiraiya studied me.

"You know something about this," Jiraiya concluded.

_Was it that obvious? _

"It was at the Forest of Death during our Chunin Exams," I hesitated.

"Oh, right! That's it!" Naruto confirmed.

Jiraiya studied our words. "And how do you know this?" he asked me.

"I was there. We were fighting —"

I felt self-conscious about the situation. Maybe I shouldn't be leaking all this vital information to a guy I hardly knew. I wanted what's best for Naruto. Even though Jiraiya was a huge pervert, he could be trusted, right?

"Naruto suddenly went crazy and had so much energy and a destructive mind… I could barely recognize him…"

Naruto looked guilty, upset he put his team through something like that, despite it being out of his control. "It was as though it was a dream," he finalized.

"I see…" Jiraiya said, but he wasn't foolish. He knew there were a few missing pieces.

"But, I remember feeling this was different than my usual chakra." Naruto said. "My normal chakra, if it was a color, it would be blue. But, this one was red." He was deep in thought, trying to recollect a distant memory that he was unsure was even real.

Jiraiya thought for a moment before saying, "Then we need to build up that red chakra of yours."

_Was that possible? To possess two different chakras? Jiraiya isn't fazed by a possibility I never heard of._

"Right," Naruto said, unsure. "I guess if you say so, I'll give it a try."

He crossed his legs into a mediation pose and with a hand sign, tried to concentrate chakra that he wasn't fully sure he possessed.

Moments later, "Well, did it work?" Jiraiya asked.

"Mm no. It's the same chakra as always." Naruto was perplexed.

"Man, you have absolute zero talent do you, Kid?" Jiraiya groaned.

"Hey! Don't go acting like you're so great and besides, I can't help it. I don't even understand the two types of chakra myself, alright?" Naruto crossed his arms with defiance. I understood how he felt. Neither of us knew what's exactly happening inside us.

Jiraiya was always quick to insult, but as he did it, the wheels of observation turned in his mind. _What was he thinking? What was he hiding?_

"Maybe I don't need to summon the red chakra. What's it have to do with the technique you were going to teach me anyway?"

Jiraiya wasn't having his whining a moment longer. "Listen boy," he pointed disrespectfully close to Naruto's face. "For the technique, the chakra you use is nowhere _near_ powerful enough. You would need to pull out all the stops and tap into the chakra dormant in you."

"Yeah that sounds cool and all, but how do you know I have that kind of chakra inside of me," Naruto asked with attitude.

"Ah, that just what I wanted to hear," Jiraiya beamed. Naruto and I moved in closer to hear the magically explanation to an unearthly mystery.

"It's because I am a Sage!"

Naruto gave Jiraiya a death glare as I hung my head in defeat. "Talk about giving an answer without giving an answer," I sighed.

"What's the deal?!" Naruto pointed. "What kind of bullshit are you pulling? Do I have two chakra types or not!"

Jiraiya's eyes crossed to stare at the finger dangerously close to his nose. "I'm not _bullshitting _you, Naruto. I believe you do have special chakra that only you possess and it will become your greatest weapon. I'm sure of it."

"Greatest weapon? Really?" Naruto said eager.

"Yes! Not using it is like leaving treasure!" Jiraiya sounded like an old salesman trying to persuade a customer into buying something that was broken.

But I wasn't convinced.

"Why are you so adamant for Naruto to train with this 'red' chakra anyway? Last time, he… he wasn't himself. What if it happens again and he can't control it?" I asked.

Jiraiya turned off his smart guy act and straightened his shoulders. "Listen, I get it. He's important to you, but if he has another chakra network inside him, then it is up to us to help him train to control it."

I wanted to push him further on his beliefs, but thought against it. It might be best to wait until Naruto wasn't around to hear it. Reluctantly, I nodded with understanding.

Jiraiya understood. He may be perverted, but he was perceptive. "Right, Naruto. Your past training involved you controlling your flow of chakra but you have such a high level of stamina that you shouldn't rely on cheap tricks. Instead, you should train yourself to increase the total amount of chakra. Once you do that, a whole world of jutsu will open to you."

"Woah, seriously? What can I do?" Naruto was caught bait.

Jiraiya smirked. "Well for example the summoning jutsu I am going to teach you."

We gave Jiraiya puzzled looks. With a sly smile, he gestured towards the river. Crouched over the steady flow of the crystalline river was an oxygen absorbing skinned creature, basking idyllically in the morning sun.

"A frog!?" Naruto and I simultaneously came to the same conclusion.

"That's right. It's a teleportation technique which you sign a contract in blood with all kinds of creatures and summon them when you need with ninjutsu," Jiraiya bragged.

"That sounds awesome. Teach me quickly, let's go already!" Naruto hopped to his feet.

"Okay just realize before we begin you're going to need to use up your usual chakra so only your red chakra remained."

"I already told you Pervy Sage, I don't know how to do that!" Naruto complained.

"And I already told you to stop calling me that!" Jiraiya argued back, now on his feet too. "It's not my fault you are incompetent!"

"And it's not my fault you stare are women's asses as a perverted hobby!" Naruto rebutted.

I rolled my eyes at the two's squabble. Nothing was going to get accomplished this way.

Joining the others, I stood and patted the dirt off my pants. "Alright you two," I commanded. "Stop being pests and listen."

They both zipped their lips and waited for me to continue.

"I have a plan."

**ξ**

"Alright, leave it to me!" Naruto said. After a few hand signs, one Naruto turned into two and then more; a result from multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.

"Now look at that and I thought just one of you was trouble enough," Jiraiya said rather sarcastically.

Naruto ignored the comment. "Listen up," he spoke to his clones. "All of us are going to have one big battle royale. The last one standing will be the strongest me!" The Narutos cheered, pumping their fists.

"Ah, now I see. That's a pretty cleaver idea." Jiraiya complimented. It was the best way I could think of to exhaust an overactive ninja. Have your clones punch, slap and tire you out.

"Alright, let's do it," a Naruto hollered. The others gave a war cry and headed straight into battle.

**ξ**

I knew this would take forever. Naruto had a larger chakra reservoir than Choji's stomach space for barbeque strips on Boneless Thursday. For hours, one Naruto would pound another and caused it to poof away. Just when you thought the numbers were dwindling, more appeared. It was like a bad 300 movie.

It was passed noon when Jiraiya gave up on the battle and returned to his research as there was a new group of girls nearby. But, an eye sore and a stomach grumble later, it finally looked like the finality of this battle.

Only down to two, both exhausted and out of gas, one Naruto punched the other but missed. This opened up the opportunity for the other to connect his fist with the other's jaw, knocking him off his feet and seconds later, disappearing in a puff of cloud.

"Nicely done," Jiraiya said, half-assed; bothered he has to return to his mentor duties.

Naruto, battered and bruised huffed exhaustedly. He lifted up a peace sign and smiled.

"Just like I thought, I'm the strongest me." And before he could say or do more, Naruto fell face first into the dirt. I ran to the fainted shinobi.

"It seems at long last, you used all your chakra," Jiraiya calculated as I placed the self-defeated boy on my lap. "Now I can teach you the technique."

It was like a jolt of excitement zapped through him. "Yes! I've been waiting for this all day!" He leapt to his feet.

"I couldn't tell. Alright, I'll show you how it's done. Watch carefully." Jiraiya bit his thumb and a speck of blood bubbled on his ridge skin. He performed hand signs and thrusted his palm into the ground.

Sprouting from the summoning jutsu was a red frog with exotic markings on it. Jiraiya stood on top of the bear-size frog in triumph. To be honest, seeing a creature a size that it wasn't natural at creeped me out.

"Awesome!" Naruto saw it differently. "That might be the coolest thing ever!"

Jiraiya smirked, pretended he didn't feel godly from the praise and pulled out a large scroll and tossed it.

"Go ahead and look inside," Jiraiya ordered. "This is the contract for summoning toads that have been handed down from earlier generations of ninja."

Naruto opened the scroll and the names of others before him were imprinted inside. It made me wonder what each one of those ninja were like, as they left part of their essences in blood.

"Just sign your name in blood and stamp a finger print of one hand below your signature." Naruto did as instructed. "Find a place where you want to summon with red chakra. Give it a try."

"Okay!" Naruto said, eager. He performed the signs Jiraiya called out to him and threw his blood stained palm onto the ground. A large puff of smoke escaped and my high hopes quickly diminished as my eyes peered to what he actually summoned.

A tadpole, a realistic size tadpole flopped on the forest floor, desperate for water. The frog Jiraiya summoned _laughed._

_The frog laughed. _I tried not to freak out.

Jiraiya sighed. "No talent whatsoever. If you're not taking this seriously, I'm staring at the girls again."

"Wait, wait. Give it a second." Naruto waved his hands as if warning us to distance ourselves. "I think it's still growing."

"I've seen more talent in a goat. Stop fooling around and focus on your chakra as if your life depended on it!" Jiraiya scolded.

"What do you think I'm doing!?" Naruto huffed. He tried again. Bit thumb, performed signs, summoned jutsu.

A new frog emerged.

"Victory!" Naruto danced. I stared in pity at the poor creature being bothered by Naruto's failed summoning.

"Hopeless, why do I waste my time on you?" Jiraiya whined.

"What are you blind?" Naruto pointed to the tadpole's bottom-half. "See!? This one has legs!"

"GREAT! NOW GIVE IT TWO ARMS AND A BRAIN AND I CAN TRAIN IT!"

**ξ**

The bickering between mentor and pupil went on until I couldn't take the hunger pains any longer and threatened to eat alone at Ichiraku's if Naruto didn't end it for the day. It didn't take any more convincing.

After having a typical ramen dinner with Naruto and Jiraiya as well as tricking Jiraiya into paying, it was well after sunset. I said goodbye to the duo, promised Naruto I would watch him 'kick ass' tomorrow and headed towards my apartment.

I was in a weird mood, like a weight was on my chest I couldn't lift off. Watching Naruto dig deeper into learning more about himself and myself interrogating Jiraiya for answers, desired me to do the same for myself. But, no one had the answers for me. Jiraiya knew things about Naruto. No one was the gatekeeper to my past memories, my life.

Gachero's offer trickled in the back of my mind; his words pierced my thoughts. His desire to find out who I was just as much as I did. He was willing to take the risk, the one that could affect my health, but was I? If I circum to that, I would just be a failure; relying on the power of an unknown technique. I would consider myself weak.

On the other hand, no one including him told me what happened after the fight with Mae. Do they care for me at all? There was no way I will discover myself if no one had my back. I was a caged animal with the key right outside my imprisonment; just barely out of reach.

I soon arrived at my apartment complex and thought twice as I walked past the entrance. Too much was on my mind to sit in my claustrophobic room.

My venture winded me at the other side of town. By now it was past nightfall and the streets were quieting down to a crawl. Townsfolks were already in bed, ready for their day to begin again when they woke.

The sound of chimes distracted me from my self-thoughts and followed the noise to a distinguishable building; grandiose with two large fish statues on each end of the roof. The chimes I heard were attached to the fishes' tail. Strong wind blew the sound echoing.

There was a figure sitting on one of the statues. I couldn't tell who it was because there was a gourd blocking my view. That's when it clicked.

Gaara.

**ξ**

To the top of the roof I went. My instinct was to go and that's what happened. All of a sudden I was in the same proximity as Gaara, his red hair rich like blood in the moonlight, swaying from the strong breeze. He sat with one knee close to his chin on which he rested on.

Gaara, the sand nin that captured me, the shinobi who saved Leda's body, the boy who almost killed Lee.

I was frozen as the recognition hit like a ton of bricks, second guessing my decision.

"What do you want?" Gaara spoke. It was an inconclusive tone; neither mad nor curious…just a statement. Just Gaara.

Hesitatively, I approached the ninja and sat beside him, noting to sit a distance away.

I didn't know what to say. I felt anything I said, even a simple hello, could throw the guy off the deep end.

The beauty of the world was up here. Most of the shops and homes' lights were off as everyone was in a deep lullaby. With the exception of a few dim lights, it appeared to be a ghost town. Something about it; the emptiness, the stone and wood of man-made structures, was captivating. I gazed off into the night sky. The lack of lights illuminated the clear sky above. The full moon became brighter.

"Insignificant," Gaara spoke.

"What is?" I asked, having no idea what he was referring to.

"The stars," he explained. "There are so many, that they become insignificant. They get lost in cosmic stardust with each one looking the same as the other. Insignificant."

He was correct. There were numerous of stars painted in the night sky like an artist splashed paint. There were thousands, millions more out there that we couldn't see. Each one more and more lost in space. But…

"I don't see it that way," I finalized, daring to look at Gaara. He paid no mind as he focused his efforts towards the sky.

"They might all be stars, but each one is unique to the next. Each one has a story to be told just as our blessed star birthed this world into existence. Everything has a story. The question is whether it falls on deaf ears."

"What's your story then?" Gaara challenged. He turned towards me as he asked it. The moonlight made his green eyes glow. I could only imagine it was doing the same to mine.

"I…" He caught me off guard. "I don't have a story."

"You said everything has a story," he spoke.

"I'm the exception. A year ago I woke up with no memory of my past." I tend to be a private person; keeping my personal life to myself, but the words flowed through my wind chilled lips with warmth smoothness.

But if what I said before was true, that everything significant had a story, does that mean for me?

"I see." He didn't have an answer for the questions circling my conscious. "Consider that a blessing."

"Why?" I questioned, taken aback.

"All you left behind was hardship and pain. Be thankful those things aren't haunting you."

When Gaara spoke, it was often expressionless, monotone. Like his feelings were sucked from his life force. The things he must have endured to become like this.

But I couldn't think like that, it wasn't in my genetic code. "But at least my past, hard or not, would have define a path I am on today and carve towards the future." My statement started off strong, defiant, but the more I spoke, the more saddening I became.

"I … just feel incomplete. And I understand people can't help me with my past." Anger got caught in my throat, suffocating me unless I spat it out. "But if people don't tell me things like what happened at the Preliminary Exams, how am I supposed to even have a future with anyone besides a stranger?"

Gaara didn't respond to my rant. His contemplated the night sky. The wind blew through our hair; his appearing like the waves colliding onto the shore in dark waves.

I realized I said too much and curled into myself. "Sorry…" I mumbled as the wind picked up with my words in it.

After some awkward silence, I drew up the courage to speak again. "Listen," I said, calm now. "I never thanked you for what you did—"

I wanted to say more but the words were choking me again. This time they wouldn't come out. Even a month ago, the pain of losing her was so strong. It felt like it just happened this morning. The way her curves imprinted my mind as she laid lifeless in my arms. All because she protected me, and I couldn't do the same for her.

"You gave me something I thought I lost forever," I finalized staring up at the sky. I prayed she resurrected as one of the stars and shined the brightest.

Tears threatened to invade my vision when Gaara final spoke, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I replied, discretely playing with my eye to wipe an escaped tear.

"The Preliminaries. That Leaf Shinobi Rock Lee… I wanted to finish him off. I wanted to feel his bones crush under the weight of my sand, feel his curdling screams in my soul…." Gaara couldn't speak more. He started to breathe heavy, panicked… or was it out of bloodlust?

I tried to remain calm. I knew all too well what Gaara was capable of, especially since, for an expressionless guy, he could become bloodthirsty in seconds.

"Are you okay?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

He grabbed his head and took deep breathes. He peered through his fingers at me the moment I caught myself leaning away on instinct. _Shit._

But as quickly as it came, it receded. His heavy breathing stopped and removed his hand from his head.

"It's the full moon," he explained.

_The moon?_ I didn't understand, couldn't even fathom the words to ask.

He continued speaking as if nothing happened. "His sensei, he stopped me from doing so."

I knew what he was trying to ask…

_"__But, why? He failed. Why save him?" Gaara asked Guy, grabbing his head._

_Guy watched the medical team do their job. "Because he's… he's my student and he is precious to me."_

"He's precious to me. That's what he said," Gaara continued. "Why would he say such a thing to a failure?"

Gaara speaking badly about Lee hurt. Lee was suffering so much and Gaara was offended that he was still alive. But I also felt bad. Gaara doesn't understand that it's because…

"Because Guy-Sensei loves Lee," I explained.

Gaara was taken aback, a rare occurrence. "Love?" the words echoed from his lips, escaping into the night air.

"But he isn't the shinobi's family or have any relationship to him."

I realized then that Gaara was like a child. He was asking questions that would have been obvious to anyone except a newborn or toddler.

"Love doesn't need a reason to exist. Newborn stars take millions of years to form, billons of tons of mass to make. Just like the endless stars that scatter the night star, it just exists," I explained.

It made me think of Leda. How we weren't family, only two different paths that bumped into each other. Her path was rocky, wild, white rapids. Mine flowed in deep meanders, trying to be in all directions at once. We flowed together through all its meanders and bumps. Her's abruptly stopped, permanently dammed. But, I loved every minute, good or bad, together.

I loved her. I love Leda.

"The people you love are the ones you are willing to risk your life for. They are your family, even if it isn't by blood," I finalized, smiling sadly.

Gaara was perplexed by my speech. "So his sensei was willing to risk his life for his pupil, despite his weakness?"

I nodded. "Because he loves his students and his students love him."

Gaara's eyes flickered up towards mine. He was so lost, so misunderstood, but dangerous. He only knew how to kill, that much was obvious. Has he ever loved anyone, I was too scared to ask.

The sounds of light murmur caught in my ear drums and my attention was drawn to across the market side to another tall building. Standing on the balcony was Gaara's Sensei, Baki, and Kabuto. They were too far away to hear their discussion and too far to read their lips.

"What are they doing?" I asked, bizarre by the act. What would two shinobi from different lands have to discuss this late at night?

"I don't know," Gaara said, watching the scene play out. Kabuto handed Baki-Sensei a scroll and parted ways.

His eyes were studious, light green. They glowed as brightly in real life as they did in my nightmares. I never had a chance to ask him, to prove I wasn't crazy and that he might have known me once upon a dream. This might be my last chance before the Finals.

"Gaara, I wanted to ask you—

"Well, well. Look at this. Don't you ever sleep?" called a voice from behind.

I jumped like a startled feline. My eyes dashed to its source, praying I was wrong. I recognized that voice.

"Why are you here? What do you want?" Gaara asked, carelessly.

There stood a slumped figure, hidden in the shade of the other fish statue.

"I was planning on attacking you while you slept. If I fight and defeat you now then I'm one step closer to who I really want to fight." He stepped into the moonlight. He looked the same, bandaged, hunched back, long sleeves. Except one thing. He had a look of ravenous vengeance.

"Sasuke," his voice hissed with excitement.

_Dosu, he's still alive!_

"Ho-How—" I was flabbergasted.

"How did I survive, you ask?" Dosu eyes sparkled, gaining excitement from my horror. "Let's just say those filthy beasts went… existent, along with everything else in the forest."

This couldn't be happening. Dosu died. I witnessed those primates pile upon him, tear him to shreds. This couldn't be real. I scooted myself away. Gaara gave me a questioning look, but I didn't care. I needed to get out of here.

"What's the matter, Quorra? Don't you miss me? Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you. In fact, I was going to find you after my rendezvous here. You two just made it a whole lot more convenient for me," Dosu chuckled.

I kept scooting backwards until the curvature of the fish statue jolted me to a stop, preventing me from falling.

"No…" I spoke, hysterical.

"What is it?" Gaara asked.

My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my skull.

I was petrified.

"He did it. He's the one. He killed Leda…" I jumbled the words out, barely at a whisper. Gaara heard me and stared sharply at Dosu.

"I already know all about your sand attacks." Dosu wasn't discouraged. "I wonder which one is faster; your sand or my sound." He displayed his sound instrument proudly, allowing it to glisten in the moonlight.

Everything became heightened. The cold wind on my skin, the pure joy from Dosu, the taunting rings of the chimes. I wanted to run, but I was frozen. Dead meat with a beating heart.

Gaara smirk manifested into a full-out grinning smile. His eyes widened, excited. He laughed, _laughed,_ at Dosu's threat.

"Scared?" Dosu said, cocky. "You should be."

Gaara kept laughing. "When the moon is full…. When the moon is full… _its_ blood boils."

Gaara's body contorted and morphed into something unnatural. Sand whizzed around him and a creature emerged. He roared with anger and grew ten feet and more. I was thankful he blocked out the moonlight and I couldn't see his true form from the shadows.

Dosu's attitude quickly diminished. He held his weapon preciously. He was in the line of sight where he could fully see Gaara.

"What… what in the world are you?" He cried just before an arm or tail or something shot out and grasped the Sound ninja. Before he could cry out for help, he was crushed. Blood violently exploded, spraying me head to toe of a guy I was petrified of killing me only seconds ago.

Gaara roared, a battle cry for more death, more blood. I slowly tried to back away but my hand swiped a pebble and it bounced down the rooftop; making little noise but all the noise in the world at once.

It caught the attention of Gaara as his head whipped towards me. That's when I saw it. I knew this wasn't the boy I was speaking to moments before about love and hurt.

This beast, his eyes. They were gold.

Before it could do anything, I quickly turned and hopped dangerously high off the roof, rolled and ran like I never ran in my life. Blood soaked and frightened, I couldn't speak. Couldn't scream to warn others that a creature was here and was going to kill us all.

I was so tired of this. These events happened one after the other. I was so lost and confused and didn't know what I was or where I came from. All the progress I did make, vanished. I didn't know anything anymore!

Out of the last ditch effort to figure out my life and what the fuck I was doing, I knocked on a door with my bloodied hand. I didn't realized I was doing it until the door creaked open.

"Quorra? What are you doing here so late? What happened?" Gachero-Sensei said, staring at me like he's seen a ghost. I might as well be one.

I tried to speak but I couldn't. I just shook. I shook and cried and prayed to all the stars that I could just get some answers. I need a reason to live.

Gachero-Sensei understood and didn't hesitate. "Please, come in." He opened the door and I entered.

* * *

**As I Wake now have over 100 reviews! I never, ever thought something like that could happen. You guys are the best. **

**What did Quorra get herself into? Find out next time.**

**xo**


	42. Chapter 42

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

Thank you, as always, for your thoughts and reviews: ShugoYuuki123, Angel Hatake, wajagirlliz, SakuMiChanNoGaara, Jemmy, The reviewer, Paperboy Jacky, Tsuki!

The reviewer: To you and anyone who's interested. Chapter two of story **Leda **will be posted next Saturday!

Happy reading!

P.s. Thank you Angel Hatake for commenting a few chapters back about ANBU's Back to the Past jutsu. I honestly forgot all about it and was just going to make something up. But this makes it so much more convenient.

* * *

**Chapter Forty-two: Back to the Past.**

"Sit down, relax," Gachero-Sensei coaxed. My mind couldn't comprehend, but my body followed his command. I slumped into the closest chair; wooden, fragile, on its last working spools, ready to topple over at any moment.

Like my life.

Gachero-Sensei scurried into what I assumed was the kitchen. This was the first time being at his place. I was surprised I even remembered where his lived, I only walked him home once long ago.

His place wasn't anything spectacular. Small dining room set/ living space following the entrance way. There was a kitchen down the hall one way and I presumed his bedroom and bathroom was down the other. It described Gachero-Sensei perfectly, minimalistic.

Snapping me out of my trance was a glass filled with a clear liquid.

"Here," Gachero-Sensei gestured.

I stared at it as if it was foreign. My brain wasn't putting two and two together.

"It's water. Please, drink some water," Gachero-Sensei spoke softly, placing the cold glass in my frozen hand.

"Thanks," I murmured and took a sip. I didn't realized how dehydrated I was. The cold water felt smoothing on my sandpapered esophagus, a very short-termed paradise.

The glass was already empty by the time sensei grabbed a dining room chair and placed it in front of me.

Gachero-Sensei gathered a quick assessment. He obviously had a million questions and theories rummaging through his mind. Like why a girl was covered in blood, why his _student_ was covered in blood, _whose _blood was on _his _student?

What could I have done?

Sensei lightly placed a reassuring hand on my knee. I instinctually flinched, scared it would come and this time destroy me.

"I don't want to pressure you, Quorra," he said calmly. "You don't need to tell me what happened, but just know as your sensei and as your friend, I am here for you."

Everything and nothing flowed through my dendrite-less mind. Should I? Could, I? Did I even have the slightest clue what happened? Gaara and I were talking, the next, I was covered in blood of a guy I presumed was dead.

But he was dead, I was sure of it this time. Dead and rotting in hell where he belonged instead of haunting and torturing my mind, body and soul. Nothing in the heavenly world could revive him. The evidence was covering me from head to toe, but if I thought last time was the last time, this could be a trick, too.

"I don't know what I believe anymore," I cried quietly.

"You can trust me, Quorra. Just talk it out, maybe we can sort it out together."

I nodded, even though I wasn't sure I believed him. I wanted to, I truly with all my heart wanted to think this was okay. That it was just a dream.

"I thought I saw something," I began.

"You think?"

I nodded. "Yes, a creature."

Gachero nodded this time, slowly. "What kind of creature?"

"I don't know. It was too dark to see, but it was massive. Angry tentacles of hair…"

I stopped myself short. _Hair?_ Was that what I saw? Or was I mistaking it with visions of Gaara's hair? The deep redness of his hair like the color of…

"Or sand, or something," I continued. "But it attacked someone, someone who I met during the Chunin Exams."

I stared at my red-stained attire as proof. He got the picture.

"Who was it?" he said.

I shrugged my shoulders. "All I know was that his name was Dosu and that he was from the Sound Country."

His groomed brows furrowed. "All Sensei have access to updated records of the participating shinobi and their status. They do this so that all the nations can be assured there isn't any suspicious business going on and there's proof that all the nations are being treated fairly. No patterns that suggest one nation is pinning against the other and so on."

I wasn't seeing what he was getting at. What did that have to do with what happened to me?

Gachero answered my unspoken thoughts. "All Sound nin were declared dead, their bodies recovered and sent back to their homeland for a proper burial."

I froze. He thought I was crazy. Maybe he thought I was suffering from a delayed PSTD, making me hallucinate. Who knew anymore, maybe I was fucking crazy.

"You don't believe me," I said, somber.

"I didn't say that," Gachero snapped. "I just think you are under a lot of stress and there's only one way to know the truth."

Gachero's eyes softened again. "Why don't you get yourself cleaned off? Have a fresh slate, and then we can talk about our possibilities. How's does that sound?"

_Okay._

**ξ**

Gachero offered me a fresh pair of oversized clothes as he placed my stained ones in the wash. I turned the shower on and let it consume me with its warm watery embrace. I watched the red tainted water swirl around the drain before entering the pipes where my evidence of this massacre could be taken far, far away.

Being in the shower brought me back to the first night I was in Konoha. Kakashi walked me into my new apartment and I took what felt like my first ever shower. Even then I remembered feeling the warm cascading water embrace me like the mother I never had.

Reluctantly, I turned off the shower, dried off and changed. As changing, I noticed the mirror was fogged and wiped it with my sleeve.

There she was, me.

I didn't know why I was surprised by this. It wasn't like I was a vampire or anything. Obviously I would see my reflection. But the memories of that first night trickled in; learning what I actually looked like as I glanced into a fogged mirror.

A year could do a lot to a person. I looked older, matured, but I still had that frightened, unknown look. I traced the outline of her/my face in the mirror.

This girl— me— had no clue what she was. What her aspirations in life were. What her future held. A year might have gone by and I might look different, but I felt the same, lost. And I was so tired of it, so fucking exhausted.

I needed to do it. I needed to have sensei help me reveal my past. The girl in the mirror looked so sad and all I wanted to do was help her, help me.

When the decision came into my mind, the girl in the mirror eyes' widened, no longer somber but determined. We were in this together and we'll find out our past.

Together.

**ξ**

"Okay," I told Gachero-Sensei taking a seat. "I'll do it."

He looked pleased. "Are you sure? As I said before, the risks aren't pretty. It has to be a full 100% commitment."

"I know." I took a deep breath. "I understand that. I'm ready."

"Right, let's get started then."

Gachero-Sensei began to set up the room. He took dry herbs and lit them, letting their essences diffuse the room.

"Lavender," he explained. "Burning lavender helps with anxiety, unsettlement."

He lit a different herb. "And Sage, for cleansing." He wafted the smell into the room and the combination made my sinuses clear. My mind emptied of its problems.

"I think it's working," I smiled.

He returned the gesture. "Good."

He sat in the chair in front of me. "As ANBU, we were trained in many sections of battle, both upfront and behind the curtains. That also included mastering interrogation techniques."

"So what are you going to do? Swing a pocket watch in front of my eyes or something?"

The joke left a smirk. "Not exactly," he began. "It's a jutsu called Back to the Past where you will be put into a state of reverse hypnosis which will hopefully allow you to remember details that you couldn't remember on your own."

"Okay… what about the side-effects," I asked.

His face scrunched at the question. "Like I said before, there are possible consequences for using this type of technique. The brain is a very powerful tool, stronger than people take it for. The jutsu tricks the brain into tapping into stored memories. It works flawlessly with people who are withholding information because they are choosing not to say anything. With your case, if could be your brain is instinctually protecting you from recalling a traumatizing event."

I was surprised by what he was saying. "You think something bad happened to me?"

"I would hope not, but with these types of jutsu, we have to take everything into account," he explained. "If that is the case and your brain is protecting you, that would mean I would have to be more forceful and dig deeper into your subconscious. But too much force could lead to you shutting down into a catatonic state."

"Catatonic state?" I echoed.

"Right… meaning some pretty heavy-duty permanent damage can come from this." He could see the horror in my eyes and added. "But not to worry. This technique requires you to stay awake and answer the questions I would be asking. If you are in any discomfort or pain, say the word and the jutsu will be cancelled."

Gachero performed the hands signs. "Are you ready?"

I didn't know what to say. My heart was pounding so hard against my ribcage, I couldn't focus my efforts to say the words. I nodded.

Gachero-Sensei nodded with agreement. "Back to the Past Jutsu."

Invisible waves crashed into me like I was being swallowed whole by the Moby Dick of storms. Whether my eyes were closed or if I saw black, I couldn't tell. The crushing pressure of whatever force this was, was making me hyperventilate.

"Relax, I'm right here," a familiar voice called. "Just listen to my voice."

Right. Gachero. I'm under a jutsu. I need to breathe. Relax.

"That's it, good." I could imagine him smiling with glowing celestial blue eyes.

"I'm going to ask you a few basic questions," he said. "First, what is your name?"

_My name? _It was something so simple, yet so complicated.

"It's Quorra," I said, hesitant. _Was that my real name?_ I remembered being called that, named that, but it felt wrong off the tongue.

"Right," he reassured. "And how old are you?"

"Fourteen." That felt wrong, too.

"Good, good. Now we're going to go into the deeper questions. You ready?"

I nodded yes, but wasn't entirely sure what that meant.

"Can you remember what happened tonight? You said you saw a creature."

_A creature? _I didn't know what he meant.

"Gaara," I said.

"Gaara?" he asked with puzzlement. "From the Sand Village?"

"I saw Gaara and Dosu… of the Sound."

"But the Sound nin are—

"They are not dead," I barked. "He was not dead. Dosu wasn't dead!"

"Alright, alright, calm yourself." I tried to feel soothed by his word; let the invisible waves take its course.

"So you saw Dosu?"

"Yes he was still alive but a creature killed him," I explained. "Gaara… creature….Dosu…death…"

When there wasn't anything left to say on the matter, I couldn't tell if Gachero was pleased with my answer.

"Let's move on. You struggle to unveil your past. Do you know that?"

"Yes," I spoke.

"Let's focus on that. What's the first born memory you can you think of?" I felt the waves intensifying. If I didn't know I got sea sick before, I did now.

"Quorra, your first memory," he pressed.

_My first memory…_

"I don't know… I don't know!" I begin to panic again. My stomach was doing flips. I was going to be sick.

"Breathe! Relax!" I felt a pressure on my knee, at least, I thought it was my knee.

"Okay, not a first memory then," Gachero said. "Why don't you go back and tell me something, anything."

Anything…

The stomach settled and the waves calmed. I was in the eye of the storm. Suddenly, my soul felt like it was being plucked out of my body. My soul took me somewhere; an outer body experience. I was trying to show me something.

Anything…

_The breeze felt fantastic; better than I could ever imagined. It ruffled in my hair and through my long, white dress._

_The view was perfect from here on this rock. The long grass swaying in the open, plateau field; the forest not too far off. _

"It's the same forest."

"What forest?"

"From my nightmares. I've been here before."

If he asked my anything else, I couldn't tell…

_I stared down at my feet and kicked them, playfully, over the edge. The wind felt great even between my toes. A smile plastered on my face. I have never been this happy in my entire life._

_"Thank you for taking me here!" I sang._

"Who am I talking to?"

"Who are you talking to, Quorra? You need to communicate with me," he pleaded but I was already gone.

_"I can cross this off my list of places I wanted to go now," I continued. "The caves aren't _nearly_ as fun as this!"_

_I sounded so happy, so comfortable. I didn't think I ever felt this peaceful before._

_"Where else would you want to go?" said a voice. I was with someone else. They sounded distorted, but I was sure it was male. Was it the same voice that called to me in one of my other nightmares? I couldn't tell._

_My playful kicks were faster, building up excitement. "Sand! I want to see sand!"_

_"Sand?" the distortion spoke. "You mean like the beach?"_

_I sat in wonderment. Thinking how to answer his question. "The beach is certainly somewhere I want to go, but I had the desert in mind."_

_"The desert," the voice sounded preposterous. "What's so special about the desert? It's hot and windy."_

_"Exactly! I want to feel the sand in my toes, feel the slashing wind on my skin and see…um, what did you call them? Dumbs?"_

_"Dunes," he corrected. "They're called dunes."_

_"Right!" I felt my cheeks heat up from embarrassment. "I want to see dunes and stand on top of the tallest one I can find. I want to see the world from up there!"_

_The voice chuckled, amused by my enthusiasm. "I'll see what I can do."_

_I felt my eyes lit up as if a genie appeared to grant me three wishes. "Really! You would do that for me! You're the best!"_

_Suddenly I had a dandelion in between my fingertips. A perfectly spherical, puffy, white dandelion. I took a deep breath and with all my might, I tried to blow all the little white fluffs off the stem, each carrying a seed to start a new generation. They flew past the voice, a dark figure. All I could see was green pupil-less eyes and red. Everything else was blurred._

_ I almost succeeded with one last seed and tuff of white remaining. In the background, the world shifted. The grass was scorched. The dandelions that scattered the ground were nothing more than matchsticks, like last time. My pure white dress was once again covered in red._

I felt my cheeks become stained with tears. The emotions felt so real, I thought I was going to vomit them up.

"Quorra, what is it?" Gachero asked. "Please talk to me."

"I'm sitting with him on a rock. He promised me to take me to the desert," I explained.

"Who's taking you to the desert? Why the desert?" he persisted.

I smiled. I knew the answer. I felt it in my being, but I didn't understand it.

"I love you."

_"I love you."_

As soon as I said it, the vision disappeared. Like fire to film, the edges crumpled and burned away, taking my precious dandelion and perfect landscape with it.

"Come back," I whined.

"Go with it, Quorra. It's your mind wanting to show you something," Gachero said.

I listened to his words and he was right. I was suddenly somewhere else. At least, I thought I was. I couldn't see anything. The atmosphere; however, felt different. It wasn't the same peacefulness I felt moments before. I felt hardened, like an animal that knew it was being watched.

"What do you see?" He was more assertive. He wasn't going to allow me to be vague this time around.

"Nothing," I said. "It's black."

"Push further. Use all your senses," he ordered.

I tired doing so. I concentrated on my senses.

"My skin feels cold. I'm somewhere where it's clammy," I explained.

"Like where? A basement?"

"No, I don't think so." This place felt familiar as well. In my other nightmares, this was where Unknown slept.

"I think I'm in a cave…" I left out the details about Unknown.

"A cave? Great, that's great Quorra. What else?"

"It feels different," I continued. When I've visited the Unknown before, I was free to walk around. Explore his inners and be able to see turmoil.

"Different how?" he asked.

"Like…" I tried to find the right words. "Like I'm caged."

I wasn't caged, per say, but I didn't feel free. Something besides these invisible waves were binding me.

But no matter how hard I tried, everything remained blank. "I think this vision is meant to be dar—"

_Suddenly, the air shifted as I sensed someone walking in._

_"The trials are going great. We are making great process and promises," spoke a voice._

_The voice was different than the last. This was slimy, silvery. It sounded similar, but it was hard to tell with the distortion. All I understood was, I didn't trust this person. My heart was suddenly pounding harder in my chest._

_"It better be. We need her." A second voice. This one was different as well, younger, but not as young as me. I couldn't recognize it, either._

"They said they need me," I told Gachero.

"Who does? How many? What they need you for?" he said, harshly.

"I don't know, two? I don't even know who they are!"

"Well keep listening, then," he ordered.

By the time I reconnected to the scene, I felt one less presence.

_"I know we have had a few hiccups." The voice was hovering over me now. I couldn't see, but the words crawling from this man's mouth. So close I felt a hand gently touch my forehead. I wanted to flinch, but that's when I felt it._

"I'm being strapped down," I realized.

_Underneath this person's hand was a thick strap that circulated my forehead. He rubbed against my restraint as he gently glided his hand through my hair. _

"Are they injecting you? Are you hurt?" he questioned.

"No?" I thought that was a rather strange question to ask.

"Y_ou are perfect and you will be mine," the voice whispered, sending familiar chills down my spine._

_Something or someone bombarded into the room. The footsteps were heavier, filled with determination. They were different than the other pair from before. Those were weightless; barely heard._

If the new entity answered, I couldn't hear. Pain blossomed from my brain and traveled throughout my body. This wasn't from the visions, this was from my other body, my real body.

"I can't anymore," I winced. "The jutsu is starting to wear me."

"You can't give up. We're not done yet," Gachero pressed.

Ignoring my body and listening to sensei…

_"What do you want?" the voice over me hissed, not pleased with this guest._

"Someone else entered to room," my brows furrowed.

"Who," Gachero didn't asking kindly. He demanded.

"I don't know!"

"Find out. Who's there! What do they want with you!" he yelled.

The invisible waves intensified. Their momentum so powerful, I for sure thought I was going to capsized. Gachero was increasing the power of the jutsu.

"Stop! I can't do this anymore!" I screamed.

"No! Keep going!" the jutsu and the invisible waves pressed on. "I need something here— _we_ need something!"

He wanted to find answers as badly as I did. He was only doing this in hopes I could grasp something— anything that can be concrete evidence.

And with all my will power, I surged forward. The more I tried, the hazier the vision was. It felt like I was being pulled away by a Godly force, trying to return to my real body. My soul resisted the gravitational pull.

Before I was finished for, my essence torn from the dream and violently shoved into my claustrophobic body, a voice traveled from the darkness and grazed my ears.

_"Snow."_

The force was doubling, tripling, more— I couldn't do it anymore. My body spun. My nose and ears streamed hot fluids. I couldn't see still; not knowing if I was back in my body or if I was being consumed by a monster.

And I wouldn't know as the pain becomes too much and I feel my body slam into the ground.

* * *

**LOTS of clues and foreshadowing in this one! _Any theories?_ If you want to refresh on Quorra's past nightmares/visions they are in chapters 6, 18, 30. (I find it ironic there was a vision every 12 chapters. Totally didn't plan that)**

**Gaara, Mae, and others will be in the next chapter for those who missed them.**

**xo**


	43. Chapter 43

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Naruto.

Your reviews give me life, thank you: Angel Hatake, yssajeq, Paperboy Jacky, PurpleRawan, lizy2000, perfect .fluke, Jemmy, Oo, and The reviewer.

Angel Hatake: Did Quorra ever specify it was red hair?

Perfect .fluke: Thanks for giving my story another chance. I promise you it won't be Mary Sue-y! Thank you for thinking my writing as gotten stronger. Writing has become more effortless for me throughout the chapters.

Happy reading!

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Three: Blackhole Sun**

Awakened by the sun shining in my eyes, my first instinct told me something was wrong. For starters, I was in a bed— one that was not mine. This wasn't my room either.

I jolted up, not sure what was going on. Stiffness ran through my body like the rusted Tinman. That's when I noticed my shirt—well, not my shirt— was covered in two healthy streams of dried blood.

It all clicked then. Gachero. His bedroom, his shirt.

His jutsu.

"Fuck," I grumbled. The invisible waves returned but this time with memories; both from recent and distant past.

My body got hit by a supernova, it would seem, and the doctor barely sewed the pieces back together. Limbs hanging by a thread like a broken marionette being a laughing stock at the party. I haven't felt this much pain since the Chunin Exams. Despite it, I dragged myself out of bed.

After successfully finding my clean clothes, I opened the door to the smell of breakfast filling my nostrils. Over the stove was Sensei, frying bacon and eggs.

"Good morning!" he beamed. "I'm glad you're awake. I was worried that you would be out for a while:"

His smile and enthusiasm, plus the smell of food, was causing my stomach to do flips.

"Mornin'." The words barely escaped my lips.

Gachero whistled a cheerful tune while flipping the bacon as I dragged my feet to the dining table and slumped into the chair.

"I don't blame you for being sluggish. That Back to the Past jutsu will leave the strongest of minds that way," he reassured.

"Right…" I sunk into my clothes wishing I could vanish forever.

"Don't be disappointed. We might have only gathered some information." He placed a plate full of eggs and bacon in front of me. "But there's always next time."

There it was again, uneasiness. It wasn't just the smell from the rich food and hangover-like symptoms. It was him. It could be my mind playing tricks but Gachero was happy, _too_ happy. He was lively really.

He didn't need to be sympathetic, I could take care of myself, but his carefree attitude was agitating. He assumed I _wanted_ to go through that again, have my soul ripped fiercely—like claws to flesh—from my body.

All that for barely any clues. All that and no damage to him except a stained shirt and a wisp of disappointment.

If I didn't get out of here, I was going to be sick.

Without warning to him, I pushed the smiley sunny side-up eggs away and left my seat.

Gachero's whistling stopped. "Hey, what's wrong? Where are you going?"

Before he could say more, I was already out the door.

**ξ**

Out the door and a few blocks later, I was at the Marketplace. Even in the early hours, it was bustling; all noise pollution to my ears.

Faces become blurs to my eyes, everyone a black silhouette. Remnants of past lives haunted me. I was no longer in the Marketplace but in my visions. Figures hovering in front of my eyes; demons praying on my memories. The field, the dark room, the Unknown people. What did it all mean? What did they do to me?

My pulse spiked and while the market was vast, I felt enclosed. Abysmal walls inching closer until I was to be succumbed by gravity through a blackhole. Nothingness.

I sped away as fast as I could, despite the light-headedness. A dreaded cloud hovered not too far behind.

Escaping the Marketplace was liberating as fresh, cold air forced its way into my suffocating lungs. The King of the Jungle lost grip of its meal as it scampered away into underbrush.

That's when I saw him, not the King, but the loyal canine. When a canine spots you, there was no escaping his keen sense of smell.

Kiba.

He froze mid-step, staring hesitantly— longingly. We knew the relationship between us has been rough. Vines and wildlife obscured the dog and mouse. Last time I saw him was during the Preliminaries. When the shit storm whirled around Mae and I. When he scratched me, leaving me with three beautiful battle wounds. When he witness my teammate almost killing me.

But with one look at me, at the disheveled, hellish shape I could only imagine I was in— he approached. I braced myself.

He stood before me and gave me a look that turned my bones to dust.

He stared as if I was broken.

"Hey," Kiba spoke, afraid the word would shatter me on command.

"Hi," I answered. Discomfort set in as he wedged his hands into his pockets.

"How have you been doing?" The sorrow in his voice had the power to crumble me. I wanted to scream, cry, and fold up into myself.

"Could be better," I lied.

Kiba's face twisted as if I cursed him to hell. I knew I was in the most physical pain, but what about the mental?

"Quorra…" his mouth hung open, lost for words. "What I did to you—

"Stop," I interrupted. I didn't want to hear it, but also I didn't think I could handle it.

"No," Kiba spoke loudly, with more confidence. Shame vanished by his signature stubbornness. "You need to hear this. I have been a horrible friend to you. A dipshit asshole that I beat myself everyday over. I never wanted to hurt you."

He glanced at my scars. I was never bothered by them. They were tics on my life journey; markings on a tree as it continued to grow. But the way he pointing them out, they might has well have been craters of boiling lava scorching me. Self-conscious.

"Just drop it, okay? It's water under the bridge. It was an accident." I needed to escape. The walls were closing in again and this time I feared I wouldn't escape.

Kiba shook his head. "That's no excuse. I let my hot-headed ego get the best of me and hurt someone I cared about in the process."

"If you cared, you wouldn't have left me to rot alone in the hospital!" We reciprocated looks of horror wanting to take back words I never meant. I was suffocating, gasping and saying anything just to get away.

The low blow comment bit deep. "I thought you needed space…" The words lost their momentum and trickled into bubbles of confusion. "I'm such an idiot."

My mouth hung open like a fish out of water. Images flashed before my eyes. The fields on fire, a dark place with straps bounding me. Eyes! Green eyes wanted me to find them. To stop wasting time before it was too late.

It was all too much.

The last image was of Dosu. The look of terror in his eyes as Gaara from the Sand crushed every living cell in his body into a pulverized mush.

I yipped, shielding myself in spite of knowing this wasn't real. Blood still sprayed me.

I couldn't endure this any longer and Kiba read it.

"Quorra… Are you okay?"

Words couldn't come out and I shook from fatigue.

"Kiba? Where'd you go?" called a voice.

Just a distance away was a girl carrying a full basket of food. Alongside her was Akamaru wagging his tail with excitement.

Mae giggled at the hyperactive pup, but as soon as her eyes landed on my presence, her laughter dissipated, like a popped balloon.

I felt the tidal wave emulating from her, threatening to knock me over. How we started out as strangers who became teammates and best friends to this. I didn't even know what _this_ was.

Running through me was the words of the Hokage and how it was crucial to understand both sides of the story. Deep down, I really, truly wanted to believe that. That Mae had a reason for all that has happened between us.

The way she was staring at me though, as if I was a monster from her mind ready to claw at her. My heart quivered at the thought. Was I a monster?

But I couldn't find out, not now. I didn't know how much longer I could last.

"I gotta go," I spoke more panicked than I would have liked.

"Quorra, wait—

His hand rose to stop me, but I rushed past him.

At a far, safe distance, I was stupid enough to look back. They now stood side-by-side. Mae hugged her food basket tightly despite an apple rolling on the floor. Akamaru was chewing mindlessly at it. Kiba had a supporting hand on her thin shoulder which she leaned idly into.

With them being the perfect happy little supportive family staring at the troll trudge away from the sunlight.

I feared the damage was permanent.

* * *

**Sorry this chapter was so short. Originally, this chapter was no near done but with a new job, I work 50+ hours a week now. It's so frustrating because I know what I want to write but time is limited. I couldn't leave you guys hanging any longer so this is all that I accumulated over the past month. Would you guys rather wait longer to get my "full-length" chapters or get more frequent shorter chapters, let me know!**

**xo**


	44. Chapter 44

**Where the hell have I been? Instead of saying how busy I have been working and how I thought everyday of this story and how I could make it better, I'm gonna shut up and let you read.**

**Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine yaddi yadda**

**Of course a thousand thanks to reviewers lizy2000, Angel Hatake, Jemmy, ShugoYuuki123, Dancing-Souls, The Reviewer, Guest (1), perfect. fluke , Guest (2).**

**Brief recap: After a traumatizing encounter with Gaara and Dosu, she ran to Gachero-Sensei desperate for answers. After conscience diving, she discovered a few things for a cost. She woke the next morning, hustled out of Gachero's home and ran away after bumping into Kiba and Mae.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Four: Blessing or a Curse.**

I couldn't have escaped faster from the encounter with Kiba and Mae if there was a flame under my ass. With my current dishevelment, they were the last people I wished to bump into.

The chemistry between the two was unmistakable, magnets of opposite poles. Disappointed parents watching their degenerate child make poor life decisions while they lived happily with the Carmen Miranda of cuisine and their pet dog.

My brain felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Dendrites not making proper connections. Any minute it was going to erupt with enough textile to knit a damn sweater.

** ξ **

My mind was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing in the sense that I was stubborn and pushed for new experiences.

A curse in the sense that, _I was stubborn_ and pushed too far. This was no exception.

My initial destination was my apartment, to lay in my bed until the end of eternity. Instead, my stubborn ass walked past my complex's main entrance. As badly as I wanted to do just that, there was someone I needed to check up on first.

** ξ **

Now mid-morning and predicting where they would be, I had arrived. Close, but deep enough into the forest to focus on training. Or in this case, distance themselves to mask the screams of frustration.

"Ah! What the heck is the difference between a tadpole and a toad anyway?!" Naruto yelled at his recent summoning, a little chubby toad with a tail.

"Not making any progress, Naruto?" I joked with struggled energy.

"I'm not _going_ to get anywhere if this damn toad doesn't shrink his massive—" he thrashed, stopping mid-sentence. "Woah, what happened to you?" Naruto asked. "You look like shit."

"Naruto, that's no way to speak to a—" Jiraiya interrupted, sticking his head out of the bush for a few precious moments. "Whoa, you do look terrible."

"Your generous concerns are overwhelming." I rubbed the bridge of my nose, questioning why I was so worried about Naruto in the first place.

Jiraiya shrugged. No longer concerned with the half-dead chick, he stuck his head back into his 'research'.

"But seriously," Naruto insisted. "Did something happen to you?" Despite his unnecessary overzealous reaction, he was genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine," I lied. "It was just a bad night."

There it was again. A white lie. Lies that were only to be used to fairy dust a statement; like claiming the Tooth Fairy to be real or telling your friend they looked good in an outfit they clearly didn't. My lies were building up, pure white spoiling to darker shades of grey. I feared I was falling into an endless vortex.

"Nightmares?" Naruto hypothesized.

I nodded. The vortex was awakening.

Naruto gave a questioningly look, debating whether he was looking into my soul or a carnival mirror, warped to all hell. Beads of sweat trickled on my brow.

But, thankfully with this being Naruto, his doubt disappeared.

I coughed. "Hm, well. It seems like you're making some progress. The toad has four limbs now," I complimented, hoping to segue from myself. It worked, Naruto huffed.

"He's been training non-stop and he's still at this level," Jiraiya stated, irritated. "If Naruto continues like this, then it's pointless." Jiraiya was giving up; becoming less focused on his student and more on babe watching.

This revved Naruto. "Hey! Give me a break! I'm trying my best here!"

"Maybe you have, maybe you haven't," Jiraiya shrugged. "If you want to succeed in this jutsu, you have to do so as if your life depended on it."

"What do you think I have been doing? I train everyday as if I'm going to die!" Naruto pointed. "If you have a problem, you can just suck it, Pervy Sage!"

Jiraiya rolled his eyes, clearing losing faith and patience. "Listen up, Naruto. It's time you stare death in the eyes."

Naruto straightened. "Death?"

Jiraiya stood from his hiding spot. "That's right. To fend off death, you must release an enormous amount of chakra. Once you have experienced that, you will know how to release the red chakra. If you don't wish to die, do something about it, now."

"What are you talking about, you senile Per—" Naruto squabbled, but was cut short by Jiraiya pressing his finger to Naruto's forehead protector and flicked. The concentration of strength sent Naruto through the forest, past the line of sight.

"Naruto!" I cried, rushing as fast as capable. To where it leads me, all my time in battle could have never prepared me for. Preceding the first line of trees, out of nowhere, was a deep, dark canyon. I caught myself before I met my demise, skidding to a violent halt. Pebbles fell into the endless hole, disappearing into darkness.

To my horror, I heard Naruto's screams and pinpointed his small body falling dangerously fast.

"Are you out for your fucking mind?!" I screamed at Jiraiya as he emerged from the trees. "Do you _want _to kill him?!"

I was furious. Both at Jiraiya and my helplessness. There was absolutely nothing I could do to save Naruto.

Jiraiya ignored my turmoil. "We shall see if the strength bestowed on him was a blessing or a curse."

I wanted to destroy Jiraiya. Bury him alive and make him regret ever fathoming the thought of pushing Naruto into an impossible trap. But, all I could do was stand on the edge, stare down at the small orange dot, and pray.

Screams continued to echo as Naruto plummeted. Noticing a blue flame, he concentrated his already exhausted levels of chakra to his hands in an attempt to cling onto one of the numerous stalagmites that jutted perpendicular to the canyon walls. Despite Naruto's attempt, his falling velocity was too great and his fingers slipped.

"It is impossible. The rocks are too slippery and falling at that speed with his limited control of his chakra will never work," Jiraiya explained.

"How could you be standing here?! You have to save him! You're going to kill him, Jiraiya!" I yelled. My rugged voice felt like sandpaper to the throat.

Jiraiya shook his head. "Like I told you before, I'm here for the same reasons you are. Naruto can only depend on the red chakra."

"Why, why this red chakra? What is it, Jiraiya? What aren't you telling me?" I demanded. A strong gust of wind threatened to push me into the canyon, but I held my ground. A leaf on its last strand of stem. It blew my long hair into my face, but I never broke eye contact with Jiraiya.

His eyes locked with mine. His childish character changed, filled with determination. "The chakra of the Nine-Tailed fox will determine his faith. He will either die, consumed by the beast or he will learn to tame it and become a force to be reckoned with."

"Nine-Tailed fox…" His words deflated me. Never have I heard of this fox. Was that who I faced in the Forest of Death? The thought frightened me.

Not comprehending any of this, "Does Naruto know about this?"

Jiraiya shared the same perplexity. "We will have to find out."

My eyes glanced down the pit. Naruto's orange jumpsuit was a beacon in the darkness, but it was fading rapidly.

"You can do it, Naruto!" I screamed, trying to amplify my voice by placing my hands, cone-shaped, around my mouth. I knew it was futile, the wind was too strong and he was far too below sea elevation, but that didn't stop me from trying. "Believe it!"

As I said it, a puff of puissance radiated from the canyon. Naruto crash landed on a dusty red creature. The creature massively spanned the entirety of the pit and stop itself and Naruto from falling to their deaths.

Naruto laid with a thump. With confusion, he crawled to the end of the beast's back. "There's no tail! It's a toad!"

I was ecstatic for Naruto, for obvious reasons. Jiraiya, on the other hand, was more cautious.

"Looks like he released the chakra on his own this time. But, I can't say he's proficient at it. He overdid it with the chakra's power to summon _him_ of all things," Jiraiya said, disgruntled. I didn't know what Jiraiya meant by that.

"I finally pulled it off!" Naruto danced on the toad's head.

"Why you little snot," the toad spoke. _The toad spoke?!_

Displeased, the verbal force of the monumental toad rumbled Naruto's footing.

The creature manifested distaste, staring crossly at the rowdy blonde. "Whose head do you think you're dancing on?"

Before Naruto could reply. "Why, I'll tell you. I'm the wise and all-power Chief Gamabunta!"

Gamabunta's authoritarian call knocked Naruto off his feet once more and tumbled dangerously close into the canyon. At the last second, Naruto held onto the end of Chief Toad's pipe that jostled in his mouth.

"Hey, Jiriaya," the toad's voice boomed. "Where are you? Show yourself, you buffoon!"

Before I even noticed, Jiraiya was a few steps behind me, trying stealthily to sneak away. "It would be a pain in the neck if he found me out. I mean, why Naruto had to summon Gamabunta. He's a real handful. _I_ can't even control him."

"JIRAIYA!" Chief Toad roared.

"I better high tail it out of here while I still can," Jiraiya said.

"Hey, you. Wait a minute—" but my voice fell on deaf ears as Jiraiya was already gone. _Damn coward._

"Where's Jiraiya hiding, you little snot," Gamabunta demanded.

"Huh, who's this Jiraiya?" Naruto asked, flustered. "I don't know any—"

"Don't play dumb! I'm talking about that chode who calls himself the Toad Sage. Look, I'm giving you an order. If you hurry up and answer, I would consider making you my henchmen. Now where is he?!" the toad threatened.

"Okay, okay. If you're talking about the pervert, he's up on the cliff, Chief Toad," Naruto explained, overly sweet.

"Up there," Gamabunta peered up. Being able to visualize his face for the first time, Gamabunta had golden, slit-pupiled eyes. A white scar ran down his left eye. One of a warrior's.

"Um, can I ask you one question, sir toad sir?" Naruto questioned, timidly.

"What is it?" Gamabunta snapped.

"What business do you have with that Pervy Sage, anyway?"

"That's the very same question I want to ask that pervert," Gamabunta grumbled. "I mean, what does that fool want with me in a dank place like this?"

"Oh, um," Naruto stumbled.

"What now?" Gamabunta asked, annoyed.

"Well, the funny thing is, I'm the one who summoned you. You see, I fell off the cliff and I thought maybe you could rescue me and you did, so um, thanks boss," Naruto saluted.

Gamabunta laughed so hard, I thought he was going to lose his grip on the stalagmites. "Give me a break. How would a puny kid like you have the power to summon a being like me?"

"No, no. It's true, it's true. I really, _truly_, summoned you," Naruto exclaimed.

The toad ignored his comment while continuing to laugh. This became a game changer for Naruto.

"Knock it off, you toad jerk." Naruto kicked the toad's snout. "You have been talking down to me and saying whatever you want. But, _I'm _the one who summoned you. You need to start respecting me and doing what you're told. You got that, toad?"

I knew that look, Naruto's fire. This wasn't going to end well.

"You got some nerve," Gamabunta spat. "Who do you think you're talking to? A meaningless little squirt barely old enough to stand and yet you _dare_ to say to Lord Gamabunta, _Chief Toad, _that you're his master?"

Naruto snorted in confirmation. He wasn't going to back down.

"That's it." Gamabunta long amphibious tongue, studded with piercings, wrapped around Naruto. The Chief's God-given muscular legs contract and both toad and boy soared out of the canyon.

If someone told me there was going to be a planet-sized toad causing a solar eclipse today, I would have told them to lay off the shrooms. I stared up with amazement, which quickly segued into fear with the realization I was close to its landing strip, too close.

"Fuck," I choked, performing a jump and tug-and-roll to avoid being crushed by a 100 ton toad. The turbine aftershock from Gamabunta blew me far out of mushing reach.

Both a screaming Naruto and confident toad landed as if Zeus himself struck down from Mt. Olympus. Naruto's grip ripped off Gamabunta's happi vest that displayed the kanji ebi, and he rolled down the toad's back to the ground.

"Wow, that was awesome," Naruto smiled, mind boggled.

Gamabunta laughed, not in entertainment, but rather mockery. "I hate to tell you this, little snot, but even if I was willing to believe you were the one who summoned me and trust me kid, that is a big if. If you're the kind of guy who could fall off my back that easily, then there's no way I could ever accept you as my master. Got it?"

"Since being back in the world after such a long time, if Jiraiya doesn't need me then I'm going for a walk."

"No, wait!" Naruto cried.

"Listen, why don't you just get out of here and go home. You are incapable of serving as my henchmen," Gamabunta laughed.

Even from here, I could see steam blow from Naruto's ears.

A battle cry raged through the young shinobi as he charged the journey up the toad's back.

"What do you think you're doing?" Gamabunta asked, like a mother who was scolding their child.

"If gaining your respect depends on me staying on your back, well then, I'll just make sure I don't get off your back for the rest of the day no matter what. Believe it!"

That was Naruto, always ready to prove others wrong.

"What?" The Chief Toad never heard such defiance. He doesn't know what he's up against with Naruto, despite being 1000 times his size.

"That's right!" Naruto continued. "And when I do, you will have no choice but to recognize me as you undisputed master!"

"You really are a snot," Gamabunta barked. "Fine, if that's what you want, but don't think I'm going to go easy on you!"

Without a proper cue, Gamabunta took off. He shook his head and bucked wildly. Naruto was riding an untamed stead.

"Listen carefully, Chief Toad. My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I'm going to become Hokage one day. Don't forget it!"

"I don't care!" Gamabunta snapped and abruptly took off high in the air. His Zeus jump hovered overhead and into a lake a ways off. The water was deep enough to fully submerge even the largest of toads such as Gamabunta.

"He's trying to drown him," I gasped when neither of them resurfaced right away. "Just so Naruto can get off his back? What's his problem?"

"It is a bit overboard. I do have to agree with you," called a voice I instantly recognized.

Searching, I pinpointed the source coming from up the hills a little way, at the highest elevation in the nearby surrounding area.

I trudged my way up and sat next to Jiraiya. "I thought you ran off," I stated, bitterly.

"I only said I needed to high tail it out of there," Jiraiya pointed. I responded with a disgruntled stare.

Gamabunta finally emerged from the watery depths with a very soaked, very stubborn Naruto still clinging on as he coughed up water. I sighed with relief.

"Yeah, well. You're _high-tailing _out of there is the reason why Naruto is on a giant toad who is trying to drown him," I replied distastefully.

"Let's be real here. If I did stay, Gamabunta would be trying to kill _all_ of us. And Naruto would _still_ be on his back trying to prove himself," Jiraiya countered.

I rolled my eyes at the comment, but I knew he had a point. "Curse you, Naruto. You can't prove to the world that you're going to become Hokage if you're dead."

Jiraiya agreed, a first for the both of us.

"Better get comfortable," Jiraiya patted the grass besides him. "It's going to be a long day."

I sighed because this was Naruto we are talking about. "Fuck," I said and surrendered next to Jiraiya.

** ξ **

When Jiraiya said it was going to be a long day, he wasn't exaggerating. The Colosseum battle drew on until the sky expressed vibrant reds and pinks. The knot in my stomach gnarled and twisted with every passing minute. My mind endlessly running, escaping with nowhere to go.

"Jiraiya?" I spoke, cotton mouthed.

"Hmm?" Jiraiya's brow rose.

I needed to get this feeling off my chest, release this water snake's constriction around my vital organs, suffocating me.

"The Nine-Tails… fox," I began, hesitant. "What is it?"

Jiraiya's brows rose higher and his face twisted. "You're truly not from around here, are you?"

I shook my head. Even though I have been living in Konoha for some time, I was an outsider again, thrown back to day one.

Jiraiya was about to speak, but something tugged on him to do otherwise. For whatever reason, he was cautious. As if this was a secret buried from an ancient tribe that threatened to destroy the world if even the thought was conjured. A secret so poisonous, that in the wrong hands, could led to destruction.

"Please," I begged. "I can't go on any longer not knowing. I just want to be there for him." _Naruto._

The Toad Sage's eyes widened before succumbing to my request. He knew he could trust me. "Alright." He took a deep breath. "Many years ago, there was a war. A Great Shinobi War that is." He paused briefly, assessing his future word choices. "And there was an attack on Konoha by this Nine-Tails fox, Kurama is its name." Another pause. "The village was about to be annihilated; destroyed of all its buildings and villagers, flattened into a dust bowl…"

"And what happened?" I asked, wide-eyed.

With the most seriousness I have seen from him, "And the Hokage at the time, the Fourth, saved the village by sealing Nine-Tails into an infant."

_They did what?!_

Electric currents ran to my feet and I jumped on instinct.

"Wait a fucking minute. You're telling me they sealed a _demon_ inside of Naruto?" I shook. I shook with fury. I shook with sadness, pain.

"Yes," Jiraiya confirmed, calmly.

His calm demeanor angered me even more. "How could they do that? How can the Fourth do that? To a newborn!"

"It was that or the village got destroyed," Jiraiya said straight-faced.

I didn't believe that, I couldn't. "There could've been another way. They didn't even try other options! To use a child makes me sick," I spat.

"Shinobi are tools for fighting. We do what needs to be done for the good of the people," Jiraiya's voice rose.

"Bullshit," I snapped. "The village and the Fourth did what was most convenient. There could have been another way!"

"And just let thousands of villagers parish as the Fourth casually thought of another solution!" Jiraiya roared. His threatening tone took me back. His eyes were flames and I didn't want to get burned.

I shamefully took a step back, but held my glare.

"Yeah, but…" I couldn't muster the rest as I crotched into a ball.

Jiraiya sighed, letting his anger leave with it. "Listen, I get it. You're young, you feel like your world is your oyster, but there will be times in your life where you will have to make a difficult decision; one that will affect others whichever way. One day you will understand this."

I understood what he meant, but that didn't mean I was willing to accept it. "Naruto didn't know what was going on. He didn't have a choice," I concluded, sadly, into the palm of my hands.

"It was a hard choice for the Fourth. He had his reasons," he spoke. There it was, sadness. Jiraiya did have a heart.

"Reasons, my ass," I huffed. "Whenever I meet him, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind."

"The Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life sealing the Nine-Tails," Jiraiya replied.

"Ooo…" I should've known. My eyes zipped away, embarrassed by my naïve thoughts. Jiraiya stared into space in deep, pensive thought. What was his reason?

Silence filled the open space. I was afraid to ask, but I wanted to know. I _needed _to, no matter how scared I was to hear the answer. Even if this ancient secret could destroy the world.

"Is this thing, this Nine-Tails… is it going to kill Naruto?"

Whether he was still heart struck from our last topic or was resisting to give me a straight answer, he didn't respond.

"Jiraiya, please," I begged. "I need to be prepared for what might happen in the future."

Jiraiya kept silence. I could tell something was corroding his titanium sealed mind.

"It's the only way I can help him," I concluded.

"It shouldn't," he sighed. "Not if Naruto can control it, but…"

"But, what?" I snapped, too anxious to control myself. My heart beat violently against my ribcage.

"That doesn't mean it won't try to take over Naruto's body and cause a rampage," Jiraiya concluded.

"Take over his body…" I repeated, haunted by the syllables.

"Even if Naruto harvests the power of the Nine-Tails, he will have a never-ending battle-"

"With control of his own body." I wanted to cry, but my tears ran dry. I pitied myself for so long, not knowing my past, but at least I was never endangered into becoming something I wasn't.

"Poor, Naruto," I concluded, somber.

Jiraiya didn't say anything, but I could tell he felt the same. From the distant look in his brown eyes; however, there was something he wasn't saying.

"So what's your deal?" Jiraiya asked.

I was thrown off by the sudden shift in topic. "What do you mean?"

"Inside you."

I looked at him like he was absurd. "Inside me? What are you talking about?"

Jiraiya gave me a look, one I couldn't decipher. I didn't know what he was getting at.

He studied me until he replied, "Never mind."

I was about to press on, but Naruto's yells caught my attention.

"It's almost over! Once that sun sets, you have no choice but to call me your master," Naruto laughed manically.

"I never said I agreed to your deal, now did I?" Gamabunta gestured while bucking Naruto wildly.

"I don't care," Naruto snapped. "I'll never give up. No matter what!"

Gamabunta laughed. "Well then, I hope you don't take it personally when you die."

Before Naruto could reply, Gamabunta rocketed into the evening sky. Higher, and higher. To dangerous heights.

"Naruto!" I yelled, knowing it was futile.

Even Jiraiya looked concerned. "Shit…"

When the toad crash landed back on Earth, I thought the world was going to shatter. The unnatural disaster was plenty to knock me off my feet. The aftershock waves blew dirt and debris violently into my eyes.

Jiraiya and I coughed. My eyes watered regardless of my empty tear reservoir.

Before the dust storm cleared, I was on my feet. Leaping off the cliff side and sliding down to meet the toad and Naruto. Running half-blind.

The clouds soon disappeared and I could see Naruto was intact. He was twirling on the toad's back, dangerously close to falling off.

"No, no way. I'm not giving up," Naruto spoke, whirl winded. He threw his hands into signs I knew all too familiarly. His last action before losing his footing on the toad's back.

On command, clone after clone held onto Naruto, anchoring him in a monkey in a barrel formation.

_Incredible, despite the condition, he was able to release more chakra._

The clones dragged Naruto back up, high-fiving one another as they vanished and just in time, too. The sun had officially gone down, ending the day, and ending the deal with Gamabunta. He stayed on the Great Toad's back.

"You did it, Naruto!" I cheered.

Naruto cackled with victory. "Take that Chief Toad! I stayed on your back! What now—

Before Naruto could brag some more, his body had reached it limit, far beyond any other's. He fainted and toppled off the toad. I ran towards the falling blonde. If I didn't get to him in time, he wasn't going to survive the high drop. I ran and pushed faster, but I wasn't close enough. I wouldn't be able to get to him in time!

I gasped as a monstrous, studded tongue cut me off and wrapped itself around Naruto.

"Not bad, little snot," Gamabunta spoke intrigued. I collapsed with relief.

He lowered Naruto to solid ground and I wrapped myself around him, not caring I was touching a literal tongue.

Jiraiya, who followed suit, whipped out a scroll and it unwound. It was the same scroll Naruto signed in blood. A pact with the toads.

"I'm fully aware he was the one who summoned me," Gamabunta declared. "First time since the Fourth Hokage to climb on my back."

"The Fourth Hokage?!" I couldn't control my shock. Jiraiya nodded in agreeance.

"He is a strong one," Jiraiya agreed.

I stared down at the collapsed boy in my arms. His blonde hair cascading over his peaceful face. Even though he gave me such anxiety over the course of the day, I had to agree.

"He certainly is," I concluded. even with the Nine-Tails wreaking havoc, he was incredible.

"I don't mind giving him of my power in the future," Gamabunta agreed. "But I feel giving him to a place of healing is for the best right now."

** ξ **

An earthquake shatter and a nurse's scream later and we were at the hospital. I gave Gamabunta my thanks and he vanished.

The nurses shook off the initial shock and quickly rolled the fainted boy into a room. After a quick assessment, the nurse confirmed that all Naruto was suffering from was dehydration and exhaustion. Time and rest was his aliment.

With Jiraiya already gone and the nurse working diligently, I gave Naruto one final glance, silently wished him a quick recovery and left the room.

Closing the door behind me, I released a heavy exhale. Today has been hectic — between waking up at Gachero-Sensei's, bumping into Kiba and Mae, and enduring a day-long battle between a blonde Knuckhead and a toad, I was wiped.

"I think that's enough excitement for today," I joked to myself.

"Was it now?"

The sudden interruption leapt me out of my skin.

Looking at the culprit. "Holy Bejesus, you scared the crap out of me, Shikamaru."

Standing startling close without my knowledge was Shikamaru; arms crossed and bored expression.

"Tough day, huh?" His skinny brow rose with question.

_He had no idea. _"Something like that," I grunted.

"What happened to him?" Shikamaru gestured to the closed door where Naruto was deep in toad lullaby land.

"He rode a mountain-sized toad to exhaustion," I answered.

Shikamaru gave me a look like I just told him I committed a mass genocide to the world's supply of chinchillas. "I'm sorry I asked. How bothersome."

Shikamaru was intuitive. Unlike Naruto, he could read right through me. Whatever thoughts he conjured, he kept them to himself.

"So what you doing here this late?" I changed the subject.

Shikamaru shrugged like he didn't know. "Was going to check up on Lee."

"Oh." Being so engulfed in my other fiascos, I haven't thought about how Lee was holding up. I was winning a ton of best friend awards these days.

The quilt and shame must have been seeping out of my pores because Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"Would you care to join me?" he asked, sarcastically.

I agreed and we journeyed to Lee's room.

"So Sakura informed me that you are battling Temari of the Sand Village in the final rounds," I conversed.

Shikamaru sighed. "Yeah, what a drag. To be paired against _her_."

"Are you nervous?" I asked, curious.

"Hardly, I just don't want to be bothered with it. And by her. She's a loud-mouth." He let out another sigh.

That was Shikamaru's personality. To be annoyed about anything that involved any form of energy, but it left me feeling sour. People fought and died to be in his position and he took it like a nuisance.

His intuitions kicked in again, "Don't worry," he pushed. "You did great at the Preliminaries and you'll have another chance next time it's held."

We stood in front of Lee's room. I didn't want to think or talk about it anymore. For right now, I just wanted to be a good friend— for once.

"Maybe," I mumbled and processed to step inside.

Inside, Lee was deep in REM, resting peacefully with each day being one closer to recovery. Hovering over him was a sand serpent wrapping around his body and positioning a strike to kill. He stood manically, red hair swaying, smile deeming with close success.

"Gaara?"

* * *

**Hopes this makes up my long absence. If you have made it this far, you are beyond awesome. I have already started the next chapter so the wait won't be as long, promise!**

**Preview to Chapter forty-five:**

**"Do you want to know what your so called friends have been avoiding to tell you since the end of the Preliminaries? Do you want to know what you did before you blacked out?"**

**XO x1000**


	45. Chapter 45

**Back again- and sooner this time- with another chapter!**

**Thank you for the lovely comments: Angel Hatake, lizy2000, Paperboy Jacky, Jemmy, and The Reviewer.**

**Many wonder who/ what this person is going to tell Quorra happened before she blacked out so let's find out!**

**Happy Reading!**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-five: Weapons for War**

My airways closed, going into anaphylactic shock. I wasn't Lee, about to get mummified by sand, but my body reacted as if the sand was wrapped around my own neck, leaving me speechless.

Acting like its own serpent, Shikamaru's shadow slithered from his feet, his signature possession jutsu. For that, I was grateful. The possession prevented Gaara from clenching his fist, finalizing his blow to Lee.

"What do you think you're doing?" Shikamaru asked,

Instead of an answer, Gaara wheezed. What could have easily been speculated as an illness, I was mortified to discover it wasn't.

Glee shimmered from his green eyes. He was hyperventilating with excitement. The thrill of the hunt. To kill.

"I'm not going to ask you again, man. What do you think you're doing?" Shikamaru demanded.

His voice was strong, forceful, but I could see the truth in his eyes. Shikamaru was freaking out.

Gaara ignored the questions, keeping his gaze on Lee. A predator never loses sight of its prey.

Shikamaru opened his mouth to repeat his demand, but was cut off. The perpetrator raced into the room and connected its fist into the side of Gaara's temple.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Naruto barked.

There he was, long hospital gown and all, resurrected from pure exhaustion. Naruto. I didn't know how he did it.

"Hey, go easy, Naruto. I'm using my shadow possession here. When you're bashing him, you're bashing me too," Shikamaru winced.

"Oh sorry, Shikamaru," he apologized.

Gaara ignored the ordeal. A crack stretching from his ear to chin. He was wearing his sand armor, camouflaged until now.

"Out with it, what were you trying to pull?" Naruto pointed.

"I was going to kill him," Gaara replied.

The brutal honesty took its toll on Naruto. "You bastard," he growled.

"He can't be serious," Shikamaru stated, bewildered as well.

If only Shikamaru knew how serious Gaara was. When Gaara wished someone dead, he meant it. I would know, I saw it firsthand with Dosu.

"You already beat him once in competition. What's your problem? Wasn't that enough for you? Do you have some personal grudge against him or something?" Shikamaru questioned.

That wasn't the only thing disturbing Shikamaru. His shadow possession was still in check, preventing movement, but Gaara wasn't even phased. Shikamaru never witnessed such… animosity.

"I have nothing against him. It's nothing that complicated. I simply want to kill him, that's all," Gaara explained.

"You know what, you're crazy," Shikamaru spat.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "You think we're going to stand by and let you do what you want, you sick psycho."

"If you don't stay out of my way, I would have to kill you two as well," Gaara warned.

"Oh, really? I would like to see you try!" Naruto shook his fist.

"Hey, whoa. Take it easy," Shikamaru interrupted.

Naruto growled. "Quorra, what do you have to say about this?"

I was frozen, a deer in headlights. All I was concerned for was Lee, how chaotic his world around him was without him realizing.

I wanted to hold him and whisper into his ear that everything was going to be alright, even if we were crushed by thousands of pounds of force.

"Quorra!"

"We've watched you're last match. We know you're tough, but Naruto and I have a few little tricks up our sleeves," Shikamaru tried to intimidate. "We were holding ourselves back. There are things you haven't seen yet. On top of that, it's two against one so don't be a fool. Just take my advice and go. Quietly."

Without hesitance, "I'll say it once more. If you get in my way. I'll kill you."

"And I'll say it again. Let's see you try!" Naruto barked.

"Back off will ya? This guy fights like he's mad. Like he's a demon or something," Shikamaru observed, wide-eyed.

"He can act like a demon if he wants, but you know what? I got the real thing inside me," Naruto jabbed his thumb towards his chest.

That settled it. Naruto came to the realization with what was going on inside him, answering Jiraiya and I's question. He faced his demon and grew terms of acceptance, something I had to commend him for, even if it sickened me. The chain of events that occurred to a boy barely born made my skin burn, but I was more at peace knowing Naruto was strong enough to carry that. He definitely proved it today.

Shikamaru didn't find it as accepting as he jabbed an elbow into the blonde. "Idiot, leave this to me. What's the point of getting him mad?"

"A demon, huh?" Gaara mused the thought. "My demon is as real as yours is."

_Demon. _Was that what I witnessed? A demon, who maliciously juiced Dosu of the Sound? Even thinking about the possibilities sucked me back into the warped scene:

Dosu, sound weapon prepped to kill.

The stars, shining with mystery; alongside the moon, who smiled at the sea of blood.

Gaara, morphing into a creature. Golden eyes glaring at me, contemplating whether I was prey or ally.

_Was Gaara trapped, like Naruto? It couldn't be possible._

"From my birth, my upbringing was what most people considered an unhappy one. To ensure that I became the strongest of strong, my father casted his ninjutsu on me, infusing my unborn self with a sand spirit."

Shikamaru and Naruto listened to Gaara's story with horror. I, on the other hand, was becoming grounded. Before, I was floating in the abyss, frozen by Gaara's hostility. But the same person who disconnected me, now anchored me—back to realization. It was beginning to make sense. Why Gaara was Gaara.

"I destroyed the life of the woman who gave birth to me. I was born a monster. Its name is Shukaku and it's the living incarnation of an old monk of the sand village who has been sealed up in a jar of tea."

"Ye, some kind of demonic jutsu, but to use it on a baby? Before it's even born?" Shikamaru snorted. "What a swell guy your dad must have been. He must have loved you a lot."

"You speak of love?" Gaara spoke, for the first time, with emotion. It was clear disgust. "Don't measure me by your standards. Love? Family? The only emotional ties I have to my family are the ones I like to wrap around their necks with the ties of hate. Given life by the death of my mother, I was brought and nurtured as the salvation of the village. I was the Kazekage child. My father taught me the inner most secrets of the shinobi. He pampered and protected me, he left me for myself. For a time, I thought that was love. And that was when everything started…" Gaara drifted off into silence.

_The Kazekage child? That means he's the son of the leader of the Village in the Sand._

"When what started?" Naruto initiated. His eyes were like marbles, glossy, and his face frozen. He just made his own discovery, about a demon who was banked on destroying a village. Now, he was finding out that there was another—all in the same day? It was shocking for myself, but it was life altering for Naruto.

"What was it? Are you gonna tell us or not?" Shikamaru barked.

Gaara remained silent, staring stone faced at all of us or none of us.

Shikamaru grew more irritated. "So go on, what started? What was it?"

"Crazy." Gaara smirked in a reminiscing tone. "In the six years since I became six years old, my father tried to destroy me more times than I can count."

Naruto gasped. This was getting too much for him.

Shikamaru, on the other hand, wasn't buying it. "You just finished saying your father pampered and protected you. So which is it?"

"Those who get to be too strong are ought to be feared. The jutsu that gave me birth unbalanced something in my mind. Even the fools in my village realized I had… emotional problems. My father, the Kazekage, created me as his ultimate weapon but I became a threat to the very village I was meant to save. By the time I was six, I became a figure of terror to the villagers. To them, I was a relic of the past that they wished would disappear."

_Weapons of war. _It was as Jiraiya spoke, it was the Hokage's duty. He was to protect his village at all cost. All shinobi were simply tools for war.

I didn't want to believe it, even now. But hearing Gaara's story, I felt like a machine. Broken gears? Sprain a leak? Fuck them, there's plenty more where they came from.

"So you see, I failed at the one purpose for which I was given life. What then was left for me in this world? Why go on living? For a long time, I couldn't find an answer to that. But in order to live, you needed a purpose. To exist with no purpose, that's the same as being dead."

"What is this guy talking about?" Shikamaru spoke with a tone I didn't like.

"You began killing…" It was barely a whisper, my first words of this encounter, but Gaara heard me.

Shikamaru talked like Gaara was crazy, but as crazy as it was and Lee laying lifeless, I understood. I got where Gaara was coming from, at least, why he was the way he was. Did that mean I was crazy, too? I wasn't certain, but I felt something and could tell Naruto felt it, too.

The Sand nin nodded. "Then, in time, the answer came to me. To put it simply, my reason for living was in the killing of others. _For years_, I lived in fear of those who were sent to murder me. But now, I was at peace. I killed many wimpy assassins."

The pieces were linking together. When I talked to him about my memory lost:

_"__All you left behind was hardship and pain. Be thankful those things aren't haunting you."_

This was why. This was what happened to him. He was explaining from experience.

"It was then the truth became clear to me. I live solely for myself. I love only myself as it was the death of my mother who first gave me life, it is now the death of others that sustains me. It almost makes me feel happy to be alive. And there's no end to it. As long as there are people to kill in this great wide crowded world. I will never disappear," was his final sentiment as he moved his sand, breaking the chain binding himself to Shikamaru's shadow.

"What? Impossible!" Shikamaru cried.

Instead of moving forward to defend Lee, Naruto stood still.

"Naruto, what's going on?" Shikamaru yelled, but it was futile. Naruto looked lost in another universe. Gaara's life story hit too close to home for him.

"Wake up! Oh man, what a drag. Naruto!" Shikamaru plead.

With prayer, a hand shot out and grabbed the wrist of the sand demon. It shouldn't have, but it miraculously stopped the sand which now hovered stealthily in nothingness. However, it wasn't Naruto's.

"Quorra! Are you out of your damn mind!?" Shikamaru cried.

Driven by an unknown strength, it was my hand that reached out and grabbed a demon. Not a demon, Gaara and it wasn't an unknown strength, but my own.

"It doesn't have to be this way," I explained.

"Don't make me kill you as well," Gaara warned. His face twisted behind his words.

It didn't stop me from trying to reason with him. "Please don't hurt my friend."

"And why shouldn't I?" Gaara pushed. "I would be doing him a favor. He won't ever become a shinobi. He's a crimpled."

"Because my friends are precious to me!" I countered.

Gaara hesitated. The conversation we had on the rooftop was ringing threw his mind as it was for mine.

_"__He's precious to me. That's what he said," Gaara continued. "Why would he say such a thing to a failure?"_

_ "__Because Guy-Sensei loves Lee," I explained._

_Gaara was taken aback, a rare occurrence. "Love?" the words echoed from his lips, escaping into the night air. "But he isn't the shinobi's family or have any relationship to him."_

_ "__Love doesn't need a reason to exist. Newborn stars take millions of years to form, billons of tons of mass to make. Just like the endless stars that scatter the night star, it just exists," I explained. "The people you love are the ones you are willing to risk your life for. They are your family, even if it isn't by blood," I finalized, smiling sadly._

_Gaara was perplexed by my speech. "So his sensei was willing to risk his life for his pupil, despite his weakness?"_

_I nodded. "Because he loves his students and his students love him."_

Gaara pushed me away, shocking me rather than hurting. He grabbed his head, a common action for Gaara. I didn't understand what was happening to him. It was as if he was fighting with the thoughts in his mind, or his demon.

"Gaara…"

He cried in pain and despite my efforts, was going through with it. He was going to kill Lee.

"Alright, that's enough," someone called.

I didn't even notice a new presence in the room. Guy-Sensei. I should have known he wouldn't be far off. This was his student after all.

"Save it 'til tomorrow. That's when the final competition begins. You're just wasting it today. Is that what you want?" The hurt behind Guy-Sensei's voice was inexplicable. The person who did this to his student was in front of him and yet he still communicated with reason instead of hate. I didn't know how he could do that.

Thankfully, Guy-Sensei's forceful tone was enough to stop Gaara. Continuing to grasping his head, the sand slowly receded back into the gourd.

And as if nothing happened, Gaara was back to himself. Cold, unexpressive. He began to walk out of the room. "All the same. I will kill you, just you wait."

Before he left the room, something stopped him. "You should figure out who you trust in the world," he spoke.

I realized he was talking to me. "What do you mean?" My voice shook.

"You wanted to know about your past—about the Preliminaries," Gaara continued.

And just when I thought it was over, it wasn't. My heart picked up beats, my stomach flipped.

"You ought to know what happened," Gaara suggested.

"Leave. Your presence isn't welcomed here any longer," Guy-Sensei commanded.

"Don't listen to him, Quorra," Shikamaru warned. "He's psychotic."

Naruto was silent, staring at me.

Gaara didn't listen nor take offense. "When you were fighting your teammate, right before you collapsed…"

"Enough!" Guy-Sensei warned.

Gaara continued. "Right before you collapsed, you blacked out. You were screaming—

"Shut your mouth!" Shikamaru yelled that and more, but it was all static to my ears. All I could see and hear was Gaara. His yelling didn't stop Gaara from saying:

"Screaming, 'No more needles. No more of Unknown's blood'."

_'__No more needles. No more of Unknown's blood'_

_'__No more needles. No more of Unknown's blood'_

_'__No more needles. No more of Unknown's blood'_

"Pleading you would do anything to make it stop. Screamed until there was no voice left in your throat and you went unconscious."

**ξ **

Shikamaru and Guy-Sensei couldn't let out a peep before I was out the door. I couldn't look anyone in the eye, even Gaara as he watched me practically bumping into him.

Endless amounts of emotion radiated through me with such ferocity, I couldn't even interpret them. Gaara could have been lying, that much I thought of, but I never told anyone about Unknown. How it haunted my dreams and I awoke screaming telling myself it wasn't real. There was no way he could have known, this proved that the Unknown may actually be more than just –

They knew—they all knew what happened and they have the nerve to hide it from me. Not just Shikamaru, Guy-Sensei and Naruto, it was everyone who witnessed the battle.

Sakura.

Kiba.

Mae.

Was that why Mae was giving me that look? Not out of distaste but pity? I didn't know what was true or not anymore.

Who gave any of them the right to keep something like that from me? It was my life. They know how much I struggle and yearn to self-discovery. It was my choice. Not there's. And it came down to Gaara clueing me in, a suppose enemy.

I wanted to burn bridges, destroy villages. Pillage families so that they could possibly grasp the pain that was consuming me. Have them understand what it's like to lose something, to appreciate even having it. They were all lucky, they had people. They had valuables like memories and love and kindness. I thought I had that, had a family built on friends who cared for me. Now, I wasn't too sure.

I felt betrayed.

It was far past night fall by the time I reached my apartment. Millenniums seemed to fly since the last time I stepped foot inside. My so called home.

Maybe it wasn't a home anymore, but a cave. Darkness ready to welcome me.

The hallway echoed with heavy footsteps, weighted down by Eeyore emotions.

The key jangled in my weapons pouch and it slid into the lock. I was ready to get inside and to finally, finally end these nightmarish couple of days.

The jostling must have echoed because it attracted unwanted attention from a person who I deemed to have gone missing.

"You're out late," spoke my neighbor, Kakashi.

_Kakashi,_ I wondered since awakening at the hospital where he was. Now, I wanted nothing to do with him.

Ignoring him, I opened the door and stepped inside to shun the world. It unfortunately couldn't be that easy.

Kakashi threw his foot into the door's gap. "Rough day?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked seething, ignoring his question. My fist clenched.

He rose a curious brow. "You're going to have to be more specific than that."

"You didn't tell me what happened at the Preliminaries!" I snapped.

"Calm down, Quorra," Kakashi shushed.

"I can't calm down! No one fucking told me that I was screaming off the top of my lungs, begging a person who _wasn't there_ to stop injecting me, like a fucking lunatic!"

I was shaking.

Kakashi grabbed my shoulders to steady me. "I said calm down. You're going to wake the neighbors."

I hated him. I hated his nonchalant being, his insensitivity. But I shut my mouth, I was still human and cared about others' well rest even if they wouldn't do the same for me.

I pushed him away. "Forget it. You disappeared. You don't care, no one does."

"Of course I care for you," Kakashi spoke.

"Then tell me," I asked without hesitation. "If you care for me so much, would you have told me what happened tonight, as I returned home a few minutes ago? Would you have told me?"

"It's not that simple," Kakashi replied.

"Bullshit," I barked. "Were you going to tell me? Yes or no?"

Kakashi sighed. "When the time was right."

"When the time was right," I mimicked. "And when would that be? Tomorrow? A week from now? A year from now? A person who _cares_ for me wouldn't hide this from me. Which means you _don't _care. You left me without second thought—

Kakashi gave me a fierce look before impulsively pulling me into an embrace, something very unlike him. "I was training Sasuke for the finals, but I could've told you where I was."

"And, _I'm sorry_," he said, sincere. "I care for you, believe me, more than you will ever know."

"It doesn't matter anymore," I spoke into his chest. "My compassion for others has either thrown back in my face in a form of hate or lies. I don't know who to trust anymore, Kakashi."

The last person I wanted to cry in front of, but it couldn't be helped. Fresh tears streamed down my pitiful face. My head leaned against Kakashi's chest in defeat.

"So much bad shit has happened these past few day, I don't know if I'll ever be the same again," I spoke somber.

Even recalling the past events made me ill. Waking up in the hospital, lost. Gaara killing Dosu, Gachero-Sensei tearing into my soul through a jutsu, the visions, learning that Naruto had a demon inside him as well as Gaara, who tried to kill Lee. There was only so much the human heart can take.

"I'm sorry," Kakashi held me tighter.

I understood now, to some extent, how Gaara felt. He was betrayed, only viewed as a weapon for war in the eyes of people who he thought loved him. That pain turned him into who he was today, a person who feels killing was his only comfort.

I told him about how important it was to take care of your loved ones. To be there for them because they would be there for you. Now I know I can't trust anyone. Even now as Kakashi held me, telling me how sorry he was, my brain wanted to believe, but my heart knew he was lying.

"I told him that love exists the same reasons the stars do. I gave him a reason to believe anyone you love is considered family," I cried, losing hope on that belief.

"Who?" Kakashi asked, rubbing the back of my head.

"There are millions of stars birthed into existence every day, and now I know there are just as many black holes… ready to consume life."

* * *

**Quorra finds out what people have kept from her. How would you react in her situation? Did she over react? Or didn't react enough? Next chapter begins the final rounds of the Chunin. Will Quorra even attend?**

**As always, thank you for reading. Until next time!**

**XO**


	46. Chapter 46

**... this chapter gave me a lot of trouble between planning, computer breaking (twice) and losing saved work, but here it is!**

**Thank you for the people who comment and stick to my story: Angel Hatake, lizyeh2000, Paperboy Jacky, Dear U. x .U, The Reviewer, MoonlightLily88, and Pepewritermeadow!**

**Addressing commenters:**

**Paperboy Jacky: I use a lot of direct dialogue to keep Quorra's story connected to the main storyline of Naruto. But it's my original writing that I love and I am very close (less than 10 chapters away) to branching from the canon into all original writing which I have planned from the beginning.**

**Dear U. x .U &amp; Pepewritermeadow: I think you two are the only ones who got my Last of Us references. Kudos!**

**The Reviewer: I'm glad you enjoy the emotion and sarcasm in my writing. It directly reflects my personality, especially the sarcasm which I had a ball with when I wrote Leda's parts. Thank you for being you and hope your patience will be worth it.**

**Alright, I'm shutting up. Happy Reading!**

* * *

**_Chapter Forty-six: Impermanence_**

Anyone who has fallen asleep with the weight of a thousand worlds can comprehend it: the aftermath of the following morning.

When they wake- when their eyes first open, greeted by the warm sun peeking through their shitty window blinds that they can't bother to fix, there's happiness. Moments of eagerness to start the day. Dreams, goals, aspirations.

When they wake- _**zap** _\- the rush of recent memories. White rapids crash into a makeshift boat, their essence. Each wave slamming into their rib cage.

When they wake, emotions – fears, anxiety, sadness – flood violently into their lungs, a drowning soul.

As I wake, there was no exception. I wasn't fucking special. Wasn't spared by a life vest. I was only human, maybe.

If it was up to me, I would lie in my room for the remainder of the day. Become a fighter with thoughts like a dying swimmer. An anchor tied to their ankle and gasping for breath as it sinks deeper into the depths. I wanted no part of the Final Exams. No part of the people who I called my friends. So-called friends who lied to me— or rather, failed to tell the truth.

But there was one reason, and only one, for why I was currently throwing on my basic flats and walking out into the world looking like shit.

The Hokage requested me.

**ξ **

I have never been in the arena. I've seen the building before, sure. It was one of the largest structures in Konoha, but I never had a reason to enter until now. Inside was massive, a 360 arena with tiers upon tiers of seats. People eagerly filling in, ready to see the best of the best fight. The Coliseum of today's world.

Despite the human traffic, it was simple to spot the Hokage. He, along with other village leaders, were seated in the box seat, the VIP of the arena. Dead center above everyone. That's where I headed, making my way through the crowd as villagers eagerly scouted for the perfect seats.

"What about here?" a ginger-haired boy asked his friend. "The view is _perfect_ here!"

His companion, a darker featured brunette, snorted. "You're joking right? There's a pole in the way."

The ginger rubbed his head at the observation. "It's not that bad."

The brunette rolled his eyes. "Unless you have x-ray vision and can see through concrete, we're moving."

Before he could reply, the brunette clasped his hand and dragged him away, disgruntled.

Continuing my way through the stampede, I prayed to the heavens for there not to be an emergency. For if there was, everyone would be crushed in attempts of escaping. We were all disoriented ants in a colony.

Out of the mouth of the swamp of bodies, I took a fresh breath. One free of the aroma of body odor, tobacco, and cheap beer. It was then that I learned I didn't like big crowds.

_And I thought the marketplace was bustling._

With the steps heading to the leaders in sight, my eagerness got the best of me as I quickly maneuvered through people. My rashness caused me to bump into someone.

"Sorry-" I muttered before I realized who it was. Hinata.

"Hi Q-Quorra," she smiled, rubbing her arm. "It's good to see you out of the hospital."

"Hinata…" I didn't know what to say. Hinata wasn't like the others, the ones who kept secrets. She was in the infirmary when I fought with Mae. But did someone tell her? Fill her in on what happened? Could I trust her?

I realized I went too long without saying anything. "Glad to see you out as well," shaking out of my trance.

_She probably thought I lost a few brain cells, _I ridiculed myself.

She gave a shaky smile. Even a month later, she still felt the effects from the fight with her cousin. It took time for chakra points to heal.

"Hinata, I found seats for us—

My mind had been farther off the deep end than I feared. If the rush of my inner whirlpool didn't fill my ears, I would have speculated that wherever Hinata was, a good chance he would be there, too.

Kiba. He stared at me with mixed signals. Desire but apprehension, a very uncharacteristic combination for him.

"Oh, good. Thanks, Kiba." Hinata smiled. "W-would you like-like to join us, Quorra?"

I gave my best smile, one of a stiff body's whose been taken away by the undertow. I wasn't convinced I could ever be mad at Hinata. "Thanks, but the Hokage summoned me," I pointed up.

Her eyes widened. "Is everything okay?"

"Of course," I spoke despite being unsure.

She nodded. "Okay, goodbye Quorra."

"Bye, Hinata," I spoke tentatively before adding. "I'll be rooting for Shino."

The comment took her by surprise, but then smiled. "And I'll do the same for Sasuke and Nar-Nar- Naruto." Her cheeks flushed.

Kiba gently grasped the crook of her elbow and escorted her to their seat. That was one thing I could admire about Kiba; the way he treated Hinata. Not the hot-tempered boy I knew him for, but a calm, protective older big brother she needed.

Something I will never have.

I continued my quest to the Hokage, finally getting closer to the summit. The only thing stopping me was the dozens of flights of steps.

Before I could lift my foot to commence Mount Everest, my name was called.

"Quorra! Wait up!"

But that was all I wanted to do— wait, listen, talk—none of it I was capable of performing. Plus, knowing who it was amplified my desire to escape by ten folds. Ignoring the pleas, I made my way up the steps.

"Quorra, please," he grabbed my wrist.

It wasn't rough, the grasp. Kiba didn't drag me, pull me until I was in submission. But for whatever reason, the simple human connection, brought unwelcomed visions. Dosu wanting to kill me; Gachero almost doing so. Gaara almost killing Lee. My own close death.

The mental pain mixed with the physical; a swirl of blood and tears. The recipe to the perfect cake. Add lies and deceit— and magnifique— complete.

Yet, incomplete.

I ripped my grasp from his concerned hold, trying to keep my unsettled composure. But, it didn't take a scientist to figure something was wrong, even through the eyes of someone as perceptive—or lack of— as Kiba.

Kiba always had strong emotions, wore them as a badge on his chest. Emotions powerful enough to blow ships across oceans, yet create waves that could destroy them.

This was no exception. In fact, his feelings were placed into turbo drive as they amplified through me. It made me physically shake.

"Did someone hurt you?" Kiba tried to whisper, but it sounded hoarse, like his voice brushed over Velcro, sticking in his throat.

I couldn't speak, I didn't know how. Part of me wanted to run, part wanted me to collapse, both parts wanted to cry. But, I couldn't do any. I just stood, frozen.

"Did someone _hurt _you?" he repeated, staring up and down my body looking for evidence.

This angered me, to assume the worst. To think I was a broken china doll, looking for the cracks, pointing out my flaws. He doesn't know the half of it, doesn't know any of it. He can't just swoop in and pretend everything was going to be okay. Because it wasn't.

"Doesn't matter," I responded avoiding eye contact.

"It doesn't matter?!" he spat. "I'll destroy them, just tell me who it is. I'll protect you, I swear."

_Protect me? What a joke._

I shook my head with discontent. "You knew."

Kiba was taken aback. "What?"

"You knew," I said through clenched teeth. "You knew what happened at the Preliminaries and you didn't tell me."

"I…" his fist were draining of blood, white. "Fuck, Quorra. He said not to—

"Save it," I rose my hand. "I don't want to hear it. I can't right now."

I made the mistake to look at Kiba. His eyes were glassy and face twisted, trying to mask his feelings. But badges were always worn no matter if they're shiny or rusted.

The outgoing, spontaneous, rash Kiba was hurt. His wall, his armor was dented and despite my mistrust with him, it made its way into my already suffocating chest.

_Leave, Quorra. _I told myself. _Let him feel your pain, your betrayal. Let him feel what it's like to be drowning yet still walking the earth._

I sighed. I couldn't and hated how it made me feel weak.

"If I can't trust you, you can't protect me… no one can," I whispered. And with that, I walked away.

**ξ **

Numerous flights later, I arrived at the entryway. The guards let me in with ease, they knew who I was.

I entered to the Hokage laughing with another leader. Both were dressed in their nicest uniforms. Hats, robe and all which wasn't surprising. This was an important day.

"Mister Hokage-sama," I coughed, trying to polite.

The Hokage quickly seized his laughter. "Quorra, child, come forward." He waved me on.

With an exasperated sigh, I shuffled towards them.

"Thank you for coming," the Hokage smiled.

I wanted to run and bury myself under rocks and dirt. "It's my pleasure, Hokage-sama," I bowed.

"Enough with formalities," he chuckled. "I asked you to come here so I could introduce you to someone."

My attention was placed on the only other person currently in the box. A leader whose face was covered by both a hat and mask. All that was visible were his eyes.

Dark.

"I would like to introduce you to the Kazekage of the Sand Village," the Third explained.

I bowed appropriately, but something about the leader wasn't sitting right. The Kazekage struggled to appear friendly; instead, it was spiny as his eyes stared at me with unreasonable judgement. "It's a pleasure. I've heard so many great things about you," he spoke with suave confidence.

"You have?" I replied, nothing less than sarcastic.

The Kazekage didn't take offense. "Yes, word is getting around of the Leaf village's protégées. Your name was included."

I was about to give a snarky remark but the Hokage cut me off, probably for the best.

"That was my fault, I am just so proud of you and all your accomplishments even if you aren't in the arena today," the Third smiled warmly.

"Indeed, he certainly has," the Kazekage smirked. "I only wished I could witness it for myself."

This guy was giving me the creeps when it hit me. This was Gaara's father. This was the man who practically sacrificed his son to become a weapon without second thought of his own blood's well-being. No wonder why Gaara despised him.

"Well, you like what you see?" I placed my hand on my hip, not at all amused.

"Very," he spoke with hungry eyes. I wanted to slap him. "It's a shame you will not be fighting today. I am intrigued to witness your fighting style, but who knows, that day might come sooner than we think."

_Or maybe not at all, _I wanted to reply.

"You must be weary from the long trip," the Hokage pointed, handing the Kazekage a proper excuse for being… off-putting on a golden platter.

"Not at all," the Kazekage smiled under his mask. "I am just glad for your sake that the arena is in the Leaf village. As strong as you are, I'm sure the long journey would have proven difficult for you given your old age. Isn't it time for someone to succeed you as Hokage?"

The Third laughed, like he was talking to an old friend. "You act as if I am an old man. There is plenty of life in me. No, I plan on staying here for some time to come."

He gestured to the empty seat beside him. "If you may, I think it is time we get started."

I took a seat as the Hokage wished, even if I was then closer to _him. _Recalling Gaara's description of how this man treated him made me resent the leader more.

At the balcony edge, "Welcome all and our deepest thanks for coming here to the village Hidden in the Leaves for this year's Chunin exam," the Hokage's voice boomed.

Resonating through the crowd, excitement rose as they hollered and cheered. The energizers to charge the contestants into battle. Not an ordinary battle, but a battle that will change their lives from this day forward. I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

On the Hokage's cue, the finalists lined up in the middle of the arena. There to greet them was Genma, not Hayate, who proctored the Preliminaries.

"I heard Hayate was going to proctor the Finals," I muttered to myself.

"Maybe he was feeling under the weather," the Kazekage suggested.

"Mmph." Not at all amused that he responded to my private thoughts.

In the line-up, Gaara's auburn hair caught my eye the moment his gaze turned to my direction. The expression written on his face was disgust; piercing green eyes. I couldn't tell if it was for me, or maybe his father. I wonder how his father felt about Gaara winning his ways into the finals. Did it anger him? The possibility that the person he sent countless assassins to could become chunin.

Also assembled in line was Mae. Last I saw her was during the unwelcomed encounter between her, Kiba and I. Then, she looked peaceful, happy with her bowl of fruit and yipping pup. Now, not so much. She stared at her feet, kicking the dirt idly.

I knew that action. It was a nervous tick she had, like biting nails or scratching a certain spot until it bleeds. Mae was nervous and she had the right to be. The shinobi standing in line weren't weak, including her first opponent, Kankuro.

Beyond Gaara and Mae, the line looked particularly short.

_Where's Naruto?_ Just as I thought it, there he was, sliding across the dirt floor as if he was diving for homerun. Shikamaru spoke, probably something distasteful, to the blonde before helping him to his feet.

"Here are the finalists to compete. We ask that everyone remains seated until all the matches are over," the Hokage announced.

From my seat, I had a bird's eye view of everyone. It didn't take me long to spot them. Kiba, who wasn't standing and cheering like he usually did. Rather he remained seated with hands firmly grasping the seat. Alongside him, Hinata wore her signature nervous expression.

Not too far away was Ino cheering with her orange slip over her newly small bun, Choji happily eating a bag of chips, and Sakura nervous beyond belief. And I knew why.

Sasuke.

The line wasn't short because of the lack of Naruto and Dosu— who people didn't know was dead. Sasuke wasn't there. And neither was Kakashi from what I could see.

"What happens if Sasuke doesn't show up?" I asked, now directing my thoughts to the Sand leader.

"If he doesn't show up by the time his name is called to battle, then he is disqualified," the Kazekage replied.

_Damn it, Sasuke. Where are you?_

In the arena, I couldn't hear over the crowd, but it would seem Genma was explaining the rules of the Finals while showing the finalists a piece of paper. Shikamaru looked shock. Probably found out he wasn't fighting Dosu anymore. If only he knew why.

I didn't have to hear to know the rules as there were none. These were all or nothing battles—either admit defeat or die. In the beginning of the exam, I thought that was the purpose. To display who was the strongest of the strong. Sift until the village found who was ready to defend them. Now, after all that has happened, I wasn't as confident on that belief.

Look at Gaara, from his story, he hated his village, but then why was he here?

Genma announced the first battle's opponents, Neji and Naruto, while the other contestants left for the waiting room.

The Hokage, done with announcements, took his seat between the Kazekage and I.

"Neji is part of the great Hyuuga clan is he not?" the Kazekage questioned.

"Yes, the clan gifted with the Byakugan. Neji is one of the strongest, too, despite not being in the main branch," the Hokage explained.

"I see," the Kazekage hissed. "And basing on the blonde boy's sliding entrance, he doesn't seem to stand a chance against a Hyuuga."

"You don't know that," I snapped. The two leaders gave me criticizing looks.

"I mean," I corrected myself. "I know Naruto's skills. He might not be part of a clan, but don't count him out. He has a few tricks up his sleeves."

_Including a second set of chakra, _I wanted to add but knew better.

"He might be viewed as an underdog, but he definitely shouldn't be counted out," the Third winked. The Kazekage responded with an unconvinced glance.

The arena quieted, anticipating the first of many battles. Neji and Naruto were at a stand-off waiting to begin.

"You got anything to say to me?" Neji mused the thought.

Without hesitation, Naruto held his fist out. "Only what I told you last time. I vow to win."

The crowd roared with excitement but I and the others who were at the Preliminaries remained silent. We knew that it wasn't an underdog-being-overconfident move. Naruto was keeping his promise to Hinata, who was almost killed by Neji. At the end of the Hyuuga battle and Hinata was being escorted away, Naruto sealed his vow with her spilled blood. Whenever he made a declaration, he stuck to it.

Neji smirked at Naruto's confidence. "I can't wait for that look of despair on your face when you learn your foolish vows are impossible to keep."

"Are we going to stand around and talk all day? Show me what you got!" Naruto barked. The crowd yelled with agreeance.

"Alright, let the first match begin then," Genma announced and took his leave.

Neji went into the Hyuuga fighting stance, Byakugan eyes with one palm outward. Naruto stared back like a gladiator in battle, sizing up his enemy.

_You can do it, Naruto, _I hoped. Even if Naruto was one of the many who lied to me, I still wanted him to wipe the floor with Neji. Hinata didn't deserve to be treated like a human punching bag.

Naruto played his first move; removing kunai knives from his pouch and throwing them at Neji who caught them in mid-air. It doesn't deter Naruto from charging head on. He should know better. Frontal attacks won't work on a shinobi who can see almost 360 degrees. Neji deflected the blow as Naruto went back for another round. Throwing, this time, a kick which Neji moved out of the way with ease.

Many more attacks followed. Through the slew of them, Neji found an opening and with two fingers, jabbed Naruto in the shoulder, closing one of his chakra points.

"Do you understand now? You have no way of beating me," Neji reprimanded already in fighting position, ready for more.

"Are you kidding? I was just sizing you up, but now that we are warmed up, we can get started." Naruto threw up hand signs. "Shadow clone jutsu." Four clones appeared, kunai in hand.

Neji doesn't charge right away. He examined each of the clones and I knew why. Neji could see chakra flow within each clone and could easily see who was real among the fake, unless—

"He distributed his chakra evenly between clones," the Kazekage hissed. "Very interesting."

_Smart, that's using your head, Naruto. _If the original and clones had the same amount of chakra, Neji couldn't distinguish real from fake.

"Well now, you can't hide for long," Neji smiled amusingly.

"Huh, we'll just see about that," the clones replied.

"If you're coming then come on," Neji waved forward.

The five Narutos charged and Neji jumped over two of them with grace and deflecting two others. The final Naruto came from the rear to lay a kick into the Hyuuga's jaw. Neji soared into the air. At first, I thought Naruto nailed him, but really it was Neji's trickery and he landed gracefully from doing an aerial backflip.

"This guy," Naruto growled.

"You thought you could be Hokage?" Neji stared at Naruto with hatred. "It's absurd, never. One of the many things these eyes have shown me is that people have set limitations. It is fixed and unchangeable. Only a fool wastes his time trying to become something he can never be."

"A fool, huh? Who are you to judge others on what a person can and cant be?" Naruto yelled.

"Do you think anyone could be Hokage? That all it takes is a little hardwork? Open your eyes. Out of all the shinobi in all the world, think of the chances of you becoming Hokage. They were born destined to be Hokage. It's nothing you become merely by trying. They were chosen by destiny. Each person was given their own path to follow and they must do so, obediently," Neji spoke with fluency. He was confident of his words, discovered this truth from long ago and accepted it.

"There is only one destiny we all share equally," he rose a single, slender finger. "...Death..."

_Death... _it was the first time today I didn't feel cluttered as the word echoed in my mind, haunted by the emptiness. Was that all we were? Biologically, our purpose, like for all organisms, was to reproduce and keep generations from seizing. Was that all we were meant for, for me? Do certain things, encounter certain people, work certain jobs, marry and have kids with certain people, and then die knowing we did what needed to be done?

All the heartache and pain I have fought through to discover my past, the risks I took, was that just foolish thinking? Should I just accept my unknown past, and follow the past the universe hands me and fulfill my primordial duty? Did I have no other purpose?

Was I born to die?

_An impending death no matter how much I fought against the universe._

"Quorra, why don't you take a seat?"

Naruto continued with the same tactic and made twenty or more clones, but even with vast numbers, it was pointless. Neji slid and attacked the clones one by one. This was cake walk for someone who had almost a perfect 360 degree field vision. Naruto's clones were disappearing as quickly as they were being made.

Neji changed strategy and ran through the crowd of Narutos, avoiding attacks. With his two fingers, he jabbed into the heart of a Naruto, the one farthest away from the group.

"You are the real one, aren't you?" Neji smirked. Blood trickled on the corner of Naruto's mouth. "You thought you would be protected if you hung out on the sidelines and let you useless clones attack. But I told you before, it's pointless. You cannot undo destiny. Give up."

I leaned forward, the desire to defend was too great. My heart pounded in my chest. It didn't matter, friend or not. If I saw someone in trouble, my inner-being wanted to end it.

"Quorra."

Naruto wiped the blood, smearing it. "And I told you not to count me out."

Neji's confusion turned to shock when Naruto disappeared. _It was only a clone!_

On his toes, Neji reacted to the charge of two more Narutos.

"You thought I would be too much of a chicken to attack you myself," one of the Naruto exclaimed, charging at the Hyuuga. "Well, think again!"

The real and clone simultaneously threw a punch from opposite directions, surely to make a connection. Instead, a burst of energy and chakra expelled from Neji, rotating in place. It was incredible. I barely learned how to concentrate and exert chakra from my feet, yet he can do it throughout his body.

The bubble of chakra sent both Narutos back. The fraud disappeared, instantly K.O'd. The real Naruto flew across the floor. It must have felt like being hit with a force field.

"Did you really think you won?" Neji spat at the thought.

The crowd cheered with excitement. It was savage really; practical strangers cheering and booing just for entertainment. There were shinobi fighting to be recognized and become higher ranked in order to protect the very people who were yelling for violence. This truly was a modern Coliseum. It made me sick.

"Quorra, child." A hand was on my shoulder, jolting me. It was the Hokage. And he wasn't consulting me from our seats. Without realizing it, I was crouched atop of the balcony, leaning dangerously forward over the pit.

"I've been calling you," the Third explained.

"Sorry- sorry, Hokage-sama," I apologized, shamefully stepping off.

The Hokage seemed to understand what was going on. "It's alright. It's tough to watch friends fight while we stand in the sidelines."

I wanted to add that it was much more than that, but I disguised my distaste with a nod. The Kazekage glanced at me judgmentally. Of course he wouldn't understand. He sealed a demon into his son for his own benefit.

"Why don't you take a seat," the Third suggested.

I wanted to follow orders, but something in me couldn't. I couldn't stay still. I couldn't watch this. These were real people.

"Actually, Hokage-sama, I'm going to use the restroom if that's alright with you," I requested.

The Third smiled. "Of course. We'll fill you in on what you miss."

Thankful, I bowed and made my way through the guards.

Before turning and entering the endless pit of stairs, I heard the Hokage call out. "And hurry back, child."

**ξ **

Going down the stairs was a hell of a lot easier than going up. Guilt riddled my already long list of emotions as I didn't have to use the restroom. Rather, I wandered the floors of the arena. I didn't know what I was looking for. I only knew I didn't want anything to do with this place, with any of these people.

And yes, I was breaking the Hokage's request. Roaming the aisles rather than remaining seated. But screw it.

Families, friends, and more sat with food and drinks like this was some kind of show. It only bothered me more.

I noticed the same two gentleman from before, the ones who were debating where to sit. In the end, they were behind a different pole. The red-head was munching on popcorn happily, having the clearer view. The other, slid his hand over his face for his view was blocked by the very thing he was trying to avoid.

Continuing my journey with no destination, there was something else I noticed. Besides the large amount of obnoxious people, sprinkled here and there were masked individuals— white animal masks with simple designs.

_What were ANBU doing here? And so many on top of that?_

It would make sense, to have security in an event with mass people, as a precautionary. But the exceeding number left me questioning.

**ξ**

Traveling, making observations and taking count, with no end in mind. Before I could comprehend it, I was where I last wanted to end up. The waiting room.

Inside the open area, waited the contestants. Shino, Mae and Shikamaru hung out along the railing, watching the battle. The sand siblings held back, in their own cliché paying no mind to the battle. Still no sight of Sasuke.

I couldn't comprehend the world forces that guided me here. Even if I stumbled by accident, I wanted nothing to do with it. As I turned my back and successfully slipped away without being noticed, I heard the first thing that entered my conscience since the Hokage tried to snap me out of my subconscious.

_"Asanoha."_

At first, I thought I was hearing things. My emotions and senses have been muddled and smeared into a concoction of confusion. But I heard it again— asanoha_._

Examining the room, it wasn't coming from any of them. No one were speaking.

_It was coming from the arena._

My curious nature outweighed my reasoning and prior desires as I made my way to the balcony joining alongside Shikamaru.

The fight between Naruto and Neji made a complete turn. Rather than Neji metaphorically standing over Naruto while proclaiming his theory of destiny and following your righteous path, Naruto was _physically _standing over his opponent. The land had been abused with unsettled ground and two holes.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Naruto had this crazy upsurge of energy and attacked Neji close combat— head on. They both got pretty roughed up, but Naruto used his clone as bait and gave Neji a left hook from underground." Shikamaru gave me a questioning brow, but didn't pursue it.

"I see…" _So Naruto used the Nine-tails chakra after all._

Shikamaru rubbed his head disgruntled. "Man, what a bother. And I thought Naruto and I could both be looked like the underdogs, now he's got to go make a name for himself. Just great. I never knew he had that much power and that _speed._ I had no clue he was that fast."

"Who knew…" but I did. I've seen it firsthand. How he first discovered that he was different; that there was something living inside of him, ready to take control.

The life changing news never slowed Naruto down, finding out about the Nine-tails. People had to know. There were probably hundreds of people who knew the reason why their village wasn't destroyed years ago was because the demon was sealed in a boy. Yet, Naruto doesn't seem bothered by it— hurt that this secret was kept from him for so long. He took it as another obstacle rather than a setback. Just one more to get him closer to his goal— becoming Hokage.

_Why? _I couldn't fathom his reasoning.

"Don't come whining to me about this destiny stuff and tell me you can't change what you are," Naruto continued to talk down to a motionless Neji. I never seen Naruto so serious or angry.

"Look, I get it. The Hyuugas are a backwards clan. Claiming because you are a side branch, you must oblige to the main household…

I gave Shikamaru a puzzled look.

"In the Hyuuga clan, they claim that all side branches must protect the main household and their secrets. Neji was mad because his father was a twin brother of the main household— Hinata's father."

"Seriously?" I was shocked.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at my questioning. "Yes, and to prevent a war or some crap, a foreign country wanted the head of Hinata's father, the main household. He was accused of killing an invader when the foreigner wasn't 'invading' " Shikamaru threw up air quotes.

I couldn't help my curiosity. "And…"

"_And_, Hinata's father is still alive. Neji's father was his twin. You do the math," Shikamaru replied, sarcastic.

_They tricked the foreign country into thinking Neji's father was the main branch's head. Because they were twins._

"I had no idea…" I spoke softly.

"Yeah, no one did. The Hyuugas are especially hush hush individuals. But it explains why Neji is so bat shit narrow-minded and power hungry," Shikamaru shrugged.

It did make sense. Neji was angry at the Hyuuga household for killing his father because he was a side branch. The brutal attack on Hinata was a message to the main household. A household he never wanted to protect. All he wanted was his...

"Revenge," I concluded.

"If there was one important thing I learned, it was the importance of asanoha," Naruto explained with a serious tone.

"Of asanoha?" Neji questioned.

Naruto nodded. "Yes, someone very important to me explained the idea behind this. She taught me there are endless possibilities and paths we can take in life. At the same time, we will intertwine with others who are on their own journey. But it is up to _us _to determine our destiny. To follow our paths to make our dreams a reality. And that's why we named our team this concept. We were born apart but then came together, and in the future, who knows? We might venture off again, to walk down our own paths, our own destiny. But we are in it together, for better or for worse, like the weaving and tearing of cloth."

"Naruto..." I was beyond speechless. I introduced the suggestion to become Team Asanoha what felt like eons ago. Back before we went entered the Chunin Exams. So much emotion rose between the six of us, Team 7 and Team 13. We were excited and scared and anxious, but we had each other. With that, like I told Leda, we could do anything.

Look where that got us.

"Just be thankful your path continues," Naruto spoke, somber. "Some strings are cut short too soon."

As Naruto said his statement, Mae walked away from the balcony and left the waiting room. If she was feeling like I was, there was an ache in her chest from Naruto's reference to Leda. It was still hard on me, to admit she was gone. I accepted I was never going to lose that feeling of lost. It was either that or Mae was jumping the gun and was preparing for her battle. If Sasuke wasn't going to appear, which has become more and more unlikely, she would be fighting next.

"If she change her destiny, than so can I. And you can do it, too, because unlike me, you aren't a failure," Naruto ended. The crowd was for once silent, listening to Naruto's speech. They took in his words, my initial spark, like a sponge.

Neji didn't reply as he looked up at the sky, listening to the boy who defeated him. The underdog no one gave the time of day.

Genma entered the arena. "The winner is Naruto Uzumaki." The crowd went wild.

Movement commended as Naruto walked back to the waiting room, triumphantly, while Neji was placed on a stretcher. The sand siblings itched farther into the back of the room. Something was suspicious about them.

"You notice anything about the sand siblings?" I questioned Shikamaru.

Shikamaru dramatically stratched his non-existing beard as if he was in deep thought. "Yeah, now that you mention it. They have been acting kind of sketchy."

"Have you checked it out?" I rose a brow. "Pull a Nancy Drew or Sherlock Holmes act on them?"

Shikamaru wasn't amused. "Nah, too troublesome."

I sighed. "You're troublesome."

"Look, I don't have time for that. My match is coming soon and I need to prepare for outright hilmiliation."

The sand siblings slipped out the the waiting room. Forget Shikamaru, I needed to see what was going on, why they have been acting strange.

One way or another.

* * *

**Of course, one of my many setbacks was leaving my notebook filled with all my plans and notes somewhere six hours away. *sigh* But I'll figure out how to get my next chapter out soon! I hoped you enjoyed. Thoughts? Feelings? Predictions? Share with everyone! **

**Until next time!**

**xo**


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